


Another Day

by StayNoonaz9290



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, College, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Kissing, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 83,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StayNoonaz9290/pseuds/StayNoonaz9290
Summary: Jisung and Yuri had always been the best of friends. For as long as they could remember, it was them against the world, and college was just supposed to be their next big adventure… They never expected the drunken mistake that would alter their friendship forever
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Original Character(s), Han Jisung | Han/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone!
> 
> We're back at it again with another Han story!
> 
> This is a little idea that's been floating around for over a year now and it was finally picked up and completed!
> 
> Please subcribe, upvote, comment, or DM us to let you know what you think!
> 
> Thanks so much!! 

“Where are we going?”

Jiae looked out the window, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her sister, Jiyeon. 

She  _ knew _ this route; it had been a while, but she recognized the cherry blossom trees and worn-out shops that blurred past them as they drove. The older was gripping the steering wheel, ignoring Jiae’s gaze as she continued to drive. 

“We’re visiting Grandma Kim.”

“What?!” Jiae scowled shifting in her seat to face her sister more completely. 

“Well,  _ we’re _ not,” Jiyeon added as an afterthought, sparing Jiae a quick glance before facing forward. “ _ You _ are.”

“I thought you said we were getting more supplies for my dorm?”

“You’ve got plenty of stuff for your dorm, Jiae,” Jiyeon rolled her eyes, slowing down at the red light in front of their grandmother’s retirement home. “You sound like a spoiled brat right now.”

“I’m not  _ spoiled _ I just-” she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest as her sister craned her neck, turning left and looking for a decent spot in front of the large building. “-I’m  _ busy _ , Ji. I go to college in five days, and I still need shelves, and I thought we were gonna get more sheets-”

“You can spare one afternoon to spend time with your grandma,” Jiyeon sounded exasperated as she turned the steering wheel with both hands, whipping smoothly into the closest available space to the front doors. “You haven’t seen her in  _ months _ .”

Jiae chewed on the inside of her cheek, annoyed with the whole situation; she was busy, she was tired, she was  _ overwhelmed _ . She didn’t want to sit with her slow-speaking grandmother who ate nothing but  _ jello _ , and hang out in her retirement home that smelled like old people. 

It kind of creeped her out, and she wasn’t sure why. 

“It’s not like I’ve just been chillin’ all summer!” Jiae protested as Jiyeon threw the car into park, pressing her fingers into the window buttons to crack them for ventilation in the hot August heat. “I’ve been packing, and working, and saying goodbye to my friends, and spending time with mom and dad-”

“I work a full time job and I’m going to graduate school for my masters,” Jiyeon cut her off, unclicking her seatbelt simultaneously with Jiae. “And I  _ still  _ come here once a week.”

She climbed out of the car before Jiae could argue, and the younger rolled her eyes.

“ _ I work a full time job and go to graduate school _ ,” she muttered under her breath, voice high-pitched to imitate her sister. “ _ But I still visit grandma like a  _ perfect  _ princess-” _

The passenger side door was yanked open, and Jiae jumped, seconds away from opening the door herself. 

“Quit imitating me and let’s go,” Jiyeon said with a laugh, grabbing Jiae’s wrist and pulling her out of the seat. “It’s too hot.” 

Jiae giggled, stumbling out of the car and closing the door behind her. 

“Why do you have to leave me?” she half-whined, already feeling a little itchy as they made their way to the double doors. “Can’t you just  _ stay _ ? I don’t like coming alone… it’s  _ awkward… _ ”

“You’ll be fine.”

Jiyeon let go of Jiae’s wrist, pushing the doors open and leading the way inside. The lobby area was huge but plain, with white walls, white tile, and cream-colored couches. The only thing that stuck out was the mahogany desk in front of them and the black grand piano in the far corner. 

“Hello!”

A woman with dyed-blonde hair and a bright smile was looking between them behind the desk, eyebrows raised expectantly. 

“Hi!” Jiyeon returned the smile, walking closer as she started pointing down the left hallway. “I’m here to see-”

“Oh, I know dear,” the woman waved her hand dismissively, making Jiyeon laugh. “Go on! She’s been doing really well this week!  _ Jiae _ … good to see you!”

Jiae was watching an elderly man walk at turtle speed from one of the lobby couches, moving towards the hallway on the right. 

“Hmm?” she looked up with wide eyes at the sound of her name, chuckling nervously. “Oh, yes, thank you!” 

“She’s been asking about you,” blondie added, and Jiae felt her stomach twist slightly in guilt. “I’m glad you could make it.” 

_ I’ve been busy… I start college in five days… _

Jiae almost said these things out loud, but somehow they didn’t sound like valid excuses, making her feel even worse. 

“Yeah, I’m glad I could make it too,” she muttered as Jiyeon started moving away. “Thank you ma’am.”

She bowed awkwardly as Jiyeon waved over her shoulder. 

“I’ll be right back, Yuna!” she called. “I’m just dropping her off!”

Jiae swallowed down her bitter remark at that, eyes darting to the occasional plants sitting in cream colored pots on the hallway floor. They passed door after door, all the same dirt-brown color, name plates and numerous decorations adorning the wood. Jiae could hear muttered conversations coming from each of the rooms, and cringed when she thought she might’ve heard someone crying, their wails sending a shiver down her spine. 

_ Why do I have to be here? _

She loved her grandma, she  _ did _ , but she wasn’t a fan of retirement homes. Jiae didn’t like the way it felt in there; like it was the  _ end _ . 

“Okay, here we are.”

Jiyeon knocked an upbeat rhythm on door number 506, and Jiae heard a much younger voice than she was expecting telling them to come on in. Her eyebrows furrowed as she followed her sister inside, her Grandma sitting on the old wooden rocking chair she used to have at her own house. There was a nurse in there, probably about Jiyeon’s age, smiling down at her Grandma as she spoke. 

“I’ll make sure to let them know you like the soup.”

Grandma Kim smiled brightly, eyes disappearing as she looked up at the nurse. 

“Thank you, Eunji,” she spoke softly, voice feminine but rough. “They should know.”

Eunji nodded before turning to Jiae and Jiyeon, her friendly expression turning to surprise as her eyes moved to the younger of the two. 

“Oh,  _ Jiae _ !” she said excitedly, looking at her Grandma before turning back to them again. “What a pleasant surprise! You’ve gotten so much taller!” 

Jiae wanted to tell Eunji it had only been four or five months- or maybe it had been eight, she wasn’t sure- and there was no need to act so surprised she was there. 

Even if  _ she  _ was a little surprised herself. 

But instead she just nodded, bowing politely before her eyes moved to her Grandma. The older woman looked happy to see her, brown eyes searching her face as she smiled gently. 

“Jiae, honey,” she practically whispered, reaching her hands out. “You look as beautiful as ever. Where have you been hiding?”

This wasn’t the same as the front desk lady or the nurse saying those words to her; she felt her chest tighten at the pure  _ happiness _ on her Grandma’s face, the guilt so strong she could taste it in her mouth. 

“Hi Grandma,” she said, swallowing before immediately putting her hands in hers. “I know… I’m sorry.”

Jiae didn’t like it, feeling so guilty; it was why she didn’t want to come. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

But Jiyeon had forced her there and now her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought of sitting with her Grandma for the rest of the day. Usually Jiyeon led the conversation, and Jiae answered the routine questions that were thrown her way, making sure to hug the older woman before they left. Now, she had to talk by herself, and she realized she didn’t know anything  _ about _ Grandma Kim.

That was always Jiyeon’s department. 

“Alright, well, I’ll have someone come by later to bring a snack,” Eunji beamed at both of them before turning on her heel, white shoes squeaking as she made her way out the door. 

“Me too, Grandma,” Jiyeon smiled apologetically as she adjusted the purse on her shoulder. “I was just dropping Jiae off… I’ve got a couple things to do, so I won’t be able to visit.”

“Oh, I know you’re busy, don’t worry about me, dear,” Grandma let go of Jiae’s hands, waving off Jiyeon’s worries. 

“You know I’ll see you soon,” Jiyeon said softly, a twinkle in her eye as she turned to Jiae. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way back, okay?”

Jiae nodded, feeling a little nervous as she looked over her shoulder, backing up until she was sitting in the spare armchair behind her. 

“Bye guys!”

Jiyeon walked out, her long hair flipping over her shoulder before she disappeared, the door closing with a soft click. 

Silence followed her departure, and Jiae awkwardly shuffled her feet, immediately looking at her Grandma. 

“How are you doing?” she asked lamely, sliding her hands along her legs and gripping them at the knees. 

“Well, I’m here,” her Grandma answered with a playful smile. “So it can only be so fun.”

Jiae wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not, a small chuckle slipping from her lips before she could stop it, eyes jumping to the tile floor.

“You can laugh, Jiae,” the older said. “This place is depressing.”

She looked up at her Grandma, who was still grinning as she rocked in her chair. Jiae was surprised; the older wasn’t usually this  _ snarky  _ when Jiyeon was here. 

“It is,” she agreed hesitantly, smiling back. “I… I’m sorry you have to stay here.”

Her Grandpa had passed away almost ten years ago, and her mother and father worked jobs with odd hours, unable to give her the care that she needed. So they’d made the hard decision to put her in a home, making promises to visit her as often as they could, but the only one that lived up to their word had been Jiyeon. 

“Don’t feel bad,” her Grandma looked much more relaxed than Jiae did considering she was the one  _ living _ there. “I have friends. You’re going to college soon?”

“Five days,” Jiae nodded, enthusiasm in her voice for the first time. “I can’t wait.”

Her Grandma smiled brightly, watching her bounce a little in her seat. 

“You should be,” she replied softly. “College was some of the best years of my life; especially my freshman year.”

“Really?” Jiae asked with wide eyes, finally loosening the death grip on her knees. “Wow…”

“Yes…” her Grandma nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “What’s your major? Did you decide yet?”

Jiae hesitated; it wasn’t a sensible major, and she wasn’t sure how her Grandma would feel about it. 

“Creative Writing,” she answered hesitantly, eyes darting to the legs of the rocking chair as they moved slowly back and forth. “I know it’s not traditional-”

“Is it what you want to do?”

Jiae looked up again. 

“Yes,” she answered, scooting to the edge of her chair. “Mom and Dad don’t approve really, but I love to write… I always have…”

“ _ Ah _ …” the older nodded, smiling again. “You know, I liked writing too. So much, in fact, that I wrote my own story a  _ long _ time ago…”

“ _ Really _ ?” 

Jiae felt her eyes widen at this newfound knowledge; how had she never known?

“Yes.”

She got up slowly, and Jiae immediately stood up to help her, but her Grandma brushed her off. 

“I’ve got it, honey. I want to find the story… I think I have it here somewhere…”

Jiae awkwardly dropped her arms, sitting slowly back in the armchair as she watched her grandma ruffle through the top drawer of the dresser next to her. It took some digging, but eventually she was pulling out an old, tattered notebook. It was bright purple, the plastic cover bent at weird angles from years of wear and tear. The spiral binding was hanging out of the bottom, and the pages looked wrinkled and yellowed as her Grandma carried it over. 

“This is it,” she smiled fondly at the old notebook as she handed it to Jiae. “My first original story.”

“Wow…”

Jiae took the notebook, sliding her hand across the cover in a poor attempt to smooth it out. She looked up in time to see her Grandma lowering slowly back into the rocking chair. 

“I wrote it my freshman year of college,” she informed her, pointing at the notebook. “My spring semester.”

Jiae looked back down at the notebook in her hands, imagining herself  _ hand-writing _ something that extensive in such a short amount of time. 

“That’s amazing, Grandma…” she breathed, unsure whether she should open it or not. 

“Do you want to read it?” her Grandma asked. “I haven’t enjoyed it in a while. You can read it out loud… my eyes aren’t what they used to be…”

“Now?”

It was a stupid question, and her Grandma laughed, getting more comfortable in her chair as she began rocking back and forth again. 

“Yes, dear,” she answered. “If you want to, that is.”

“I do.”

Jiae’s answer was honest; she was suddenly curious about this story, written by the older during her freshman year of college, when she was  _ Jiae’s _ age. 

She felt connected to her Grandma, a weird, floating feeling in her chest as she gingerly opened the cover of the notebook. She cringed at the cracking noise it made as she slowly turned the pages

“Should I start?”

Jiae wasn’t sure why she felt so anxious, but the feeling went away slightly as her Grandma’s eyes slipped closed, looking content. 

“Go ahead,” she replied softly, a half-smile on her face. 

Jiae’s gaze slid along the date at the top of the page before her eyes fell to the words written neatly along the faded blue lines, taking a deep breath and beginning to read.

“ _ How we met _ ,  _ is not something I thought I would remember for the rest of my life. I was just a fourth grade kid, who felt like I needed to do the right thing… But of course, no one really knows when they are nine that the decisions they make can change their lives in an instant. It just so happens that this particular decision of mine…  _ did.”

* * *

* * *

**_Monday, April 19, 2010_ **

“Okay, so  _ this _ is Robin-”

Yuri hurriedly wiped the granola bar crumbs off her hand and onto her shirt before pointing to the character in her comic book. 

“He’s not as good as Batman, but he’s close. He used to have parents, and they were all acrobats before there was an accident. This is him having a flashback.”

The girls sitting in the desks next to her wrinkled their noses, looking hesitantly at the pages of Yuri’s comic book as she bounced up and down. 

“It’s  _ sad _ , isn’t it?” 

Her eyes finally darted from the page, smile fading as she looked at the two girls.

“You don’t like it?”

“I thought you said it was  _ cool _ ,” the heavier of the two said, with short pigtails and a perfect button nose. “This is for  _ boys _ .”

“ _ Yeah _ ,” the other was smaller, dainty, like a china doll Yuri’s mother always told her not to touch when they would go inside stores. “Why’s everything so  _ dark _ ?”

Her finger landed harshly on the comic book page, bending it a little as Yuri yelped. 

“ _ Yah _ !” she pushed the girl’s hand away, scooping up the comic and putting it on her own desk. “This is a brand new one! And it’s dark because Batman is  _ sad _ !”

“Who wants to read about someone being  _ sad _ ?” pigtails girl said, a mocking grin pulling on the corners of her lips. 

“He’s not  _ always  _ sad-”

The classroom door opened and all three of them turned their heads; the usual students were already present and waiting for the teacher to come in, which means whoever was walking in was someone new. Yuri couldn’t see anyone at all, and was about to tell the girls it might be a ghost when a small head of messy hair came into view, eyes on his feet as he walked quickly past the rows of students. 

“Who’s  _ that _ ?” doll-girl asked, eyes widening as they watched him turn towards Yuri’s desk. 

“The  _ new _ kid,” pigtails whispered knowingly, leaning forward as if it was a big secret. “Miss Lee said we would have one today.”

Yuri watched as he scooted quickly down the row, small hands gripping the straps of his backpack that was almost as big as he was. The pants of his uniform were unkempt, wrinkled, and rolled up at the ankles, way too long for him. His tie was loose, shirt only tucked in halfway, and there were stains on the white fabric just next to the front pocket. He was heading to the only empty desk- the one right behind Yuri- and she spotted his backpack as he moved past her. 

_ Batman _

Before Yuri could say anything, the distinct sound of a ruler smacking the teacher’s desk made everyone jump, and she hurriedly faced forward in her seat. She stuffed her comic book in the pocket beneath the desk’s surface, knowing how strict their teacher was; she’d take it away if she saw. 

“Hello students!” 

“Hello teacher!”

They all spoke in unison, hands folded on top of their desks like they should. The girls sitting next to Yuri snickered, glancing at her comic book still sticking out of her desk pocket. 

“Shut up,” she hissed under her breath. 

“Yuri!” she jumped, eyes back on the teacher. “You brought a pencil today, right?”

“Uh, yes ma’am,” she nodded profusely, grabbing her backpack from the floor next to her. “It’s in my bag.”

Yuri felt everyone’s eyes on her, heard the small giggles as she unzipped her backpack; she was  _ notorious  _ for forgetting her pencil. It had gotten so bad, that her teacher stopped letting her use the classroom ones- because she kept forgetting  _ those _ at home too- making her go to the principal’s office to borrow one instead. 

“Good.”

The teacher finally tore her eyes from Yuri, turning to the chalkboard to write the day’s lesson. It was silent, nothing but the sound of rustling notebook papers, backpack zippers, and the slide of chalk on the board. 

Yuri felt her face growing hot as she dug around her backpack, nothing in there but ripped papers, her Manga, and a few beat-up textbooks. 

She forgot her pencil again. 

The girls next to her began to giggle once more, their snickers making Yuri whip around, cheeks burning. 

“Shut  _ up _ ,” she hissed, wanting to hit them both.

She regretted showing them her Batman comic- she was just so excited, she had to show  _ somebody _ \- hurriedly pushing the glossy pages further into her desk before rustling uselessly in her backpack once more. 

A slight bubble of panic was starting to build in Yuri’s throat- she did  _ not _ want to walk to the principal’s office again- when she felt a light poke on her back. 

She turned around quickly, seeing the new kid’s face for the first time. His eyes were round and wide, chubby cheeks contradicting his slight frame as he stared at her. The boy didn’t say a word, but he was holding out a pencil- Spiderman, from what she could see- shaking it once to let her know he was giving it to her. 

“Thank you!” she whispered, smiling brightly at him as she took the pencil. 

He smiled shyly, eyes moving from hers as he sat back in his seat again. 

“Your backpack is cool!”

She whispered it a little too loudly in her excitement, and there was another smack, ruler to desk, Miss Lee turning towards the class once more. 

“ _ Yuri _ !”

She jumped, facing forward quickly, the pencil tight in her grip as she looked into the narrowed eyes of her teacher. 

“Yes, ma’am?”

“What are you doing?”

“Just getting my pencil, Miss Lee,” she felt a little nervous under the teacher’s intense gaze, holding it up. 

“Why were you turned around?”

“Uh…” those girls were grinning again, covering their mouths with their hands as they watched her. “I just was just saying hello...”

Miss Lee clicked her tongue, looking between the two of them. 

“Yes…” she said thoughtfully, nodding in the new boy’s direction. “Class, we have a new student joining us today. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Yuri turned around, watching the small boy climb out of his chair, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked around nervously. 

“Hello.” 

He held up a tiny hand, voice shaky but louder than she expected. 

“My name is Han Jisung.”

“Hello Han Jisung!”

The class all spoke unison again, and Yuri watched his entire face turn red- despite the tan glow of his skin- before he was bowing quickly, climbing back into his chair. 

_ Jisung… _

Yuri turned to face forward again, smiling down at the pencil. 

He liked superheroes too. 

* * *

Yuri was walking around the playground, rubbing her sore, calloused hands together as she sang softly to herself. She had just done the monkey bars until she couldn’t hold on any longer, even managing to get to the top and see everyone playing down below.

She’d been working on getting up there for a while. 

But her arms had grown tired and she decided to walk, seeing if the yellow dandelions were back in the grass like they always were in the spring. She liked to pick them, using a blade of grass to tie them into a bouquet and give them to her mother. They would fill a small cup with water, letting them sit in the window sill until they would wilt and die and Yuri would have to replace them. 

The old ones were dead now, and she needed new ones, so she headed down the steep hill that led to the kickball field, most of the kids in her class using their recess to play a game before the bell rang. She could hear them all yelling and laughing, shoes hitting the rubber ball and cheers as the kicker ran as fast as they could along the bases. 

Yuri didn’t like kickball- she didn’t like sports at all, if she was being honest- preferring the monkey bars and exploring everywhere she could. The boys in her class were too mean and the girls in her class too prissy, so she hung out alone, but she never minded. 

Being an only child, she was used to being alone. 

“Your pants are stupid!”

Yuri looked up, tearing her eyes from the patch of dandelions she’d just spotted, trying to find the source of the yelling. Far to the left of the field, behind the hill and just out of eyesight of the teachers, Yuri could see three boys from her class- the biggest and meanest ones- crowded around someone she couldn’t see, laughing and yelling. 

She was curious- always had been- walking closer but trying to stay quiet so they wouldn’t see her. As she approached, she walked on her tiptoes, brushing her too-long bangs out of her face as she tried to see over the boys’ shoulders. 

A messy head of hair, baggy clothes and wide, brown eyes…

_ Jisung _

“ _ YAH _ !”

Yuri walked with purpose now, fists clenched at her sides just as she watched one of the boys shove Jisung’s shoulder. She scowled as she saw him almost topple over, feeling fiercely protective over this small kid. 

He was nice to her. 

All three of the boys turned around, smirking as she approached, but she looked each one of them in their eyes as bravely as she could. 

_ Like Batman _ , she thought to herself. 

“What do  _ you _ want,  _ Ewie Yuri _ ?” 

Her scowl deepened at the nickname, glaring at the boy who said it. 

“That’s  _ not _ my name!” 

She stepped closer now, Jisung staring at her with his eyes still wide as saucers. 

“What do you  _ want _ ?” the tallest of all of them asked, glaring down at her. 

“Leave him alone.” 

She tried to sound strong and unafraid, despite her heart pounding in her chest like it always did when she had to do things like this. 

Although usually, she was sticking up for  _ herself _ .

“Go away,” the last boy was smaller, almost as small as Jisung, but his parents were rich, so he was never bullied. 

“No!” 

Yuri stomped her foot, taking a step closer, trying to look each of them in the eye again. 

“Leave him  _ alone _ !”

She glanced at Jisung, who was on her left, still staring at her with his head turned to the side in confusion. 

The tallest boy took a step forward, and Yuri was swallowing hard before she could stop it. She stood her ground anyway, keeping eye contact with him as he smiled smugly at her. 

“And what are you gonna do about it,  _ Ewie _ ?”

He looked scary, towering over her and stretching out his fingers, as if he might  _ hit _ her. 

Yuri felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist, looking over at Jisung again, who was shaking his head back and forth, grip tightening. He looked nervous- as nervous as  _ she  _ felt- but she knew she  _ needed  _ to be brave or the boys would continue to be mean to him. 

She’d have to do what she did last time; when they were picking on  _ her _ . 

As gently as she could, Yuri wiggled her wrist out of his grasp, giving him a tiny smile before taking another step towards the boys, slowly holding up her hands. 

“I can just do what I did  _ last _ time,” she said, grinning at them. 

A flicker of trepidation passed across the tallest boy’s features, but he didn’t budge, his smile only faltering for a second. 

“Yeah right.”

Yuri never backed down from a challenge, so before she could lose her nerve, she spat as hard as she could into each of her hands, quick as the Flash in her comic books, making sure her palms were nice and wet before grabbing the mean boy by his forearms, rubbing spit all over him. 

“Ew  _ GROSS _ !” he yelped, jumping away from her, nearly knocking the other two over. “GROSS!  _ EWIE YURI _ !”

She giggled, despite the nickname- she was used to it by now- watching as all three of them scrambled away, looking over their shoulders and shouting “ _ Ewie Yuri _ !” as loud as they could. Some kids on the kickball field had stopped to look, but Yuri ignored them, turning to a smiling Jisung.

“Thank you,” he said. 

He reminded her of a baby squirrel and Yuri couldn’t help but smile brightly back at him. 

“ _ No _ problem!” she said cheerily, wiping her hands on her skirt before placing them on her hips. “You have to stand up for yourself or they’ll never leave you alone. They’re just bullies.”

Jisung nodded in understanding, expression still a little awestruck as he watched her look across the grass. 

“Do you want to pick some dandelions with me?” she asked suddenly, wondering if this boy might want to be her friend. 

Maybe he could help her carry the dandelions so they wouldn’t smush together. 

“Um…” he followed her line of vision, spotting the yellow petals of the flowers, before turning back to her. “Sure…”

“Great!” 

She grabbed his wrist, forgetting about the dried spit on her hands, too excited to have someone to share this with for once. He laughed behind her, the sound boyish and giddy, and she turned around to grin at him, a giggle slipping from her own lips as well. 

Maybe having a friend wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

* * *

* * *

“Wait… are they going to get  _ married _ ?”

Jiae looked up from the notebook, staring at her Grandma as the older slowly opened her eyes. 

“I’m not sure…” she answered playfully, smiling as she rocked in her chair. 

“Do they at least stay  _ friends _ ?” Jiae found herself asking, looking down at the notebook again. “I hope so…”

“They did,” her Grandma seemed amused by Jiae’s excitement, nodding as she answered. “And you’ll find that Jisung returned the favor for Yuri just a few years later. Keep reading, Jiae…”

The younger nodded quickly, turning the page in the notebook before beginning to read once more.

“ _ We had stayed the best of friends after that; just me and Jisung. We got into tons of trouble together- me getting us in it, him getting us out- and laughed every day at recess, never caring too much what others thought. Middle school came fast, and my spitfire antics fell to the back burner as I faced an emotion I’d never had to deal with before-  _ insecurity _.  _

_ Gone was the girl who could spit on the palms of her hands and lay them on a mean boy without blinking an eye; I was growing up, in that awkward preteen phase where my clothes fit wrong and my hair never sat right. Suddenly, I cared about the way I looked and what people thought of me… not knowing the balance yet between confidence and social acceptance. And as Jisung and I grew closer and closer every day, he saw me the weakest he’d ever seen me… _

_ For the first time, I was unable to fight my own bullies… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday, October 23, 2013_ **

Yuri looked in the mirror hanging on her locker door, pushing her glasses hurriedly on top of her head as she rubbed uselessly at her red, puffy eyes. They were still shining with tears, and the sight of that had the lump forming in her throat all over again, biting her lip at how pathetic she looked at that moment. 

Crying. 

Over some stupid words from girls who didn’t matter. 

But it  _ did _ matter, their laughter and snide remarks echoing in her mind as she closed her eyes. 

_ “Yuri, don’t you know spiderman is for  _ boys _?”  _

_ “She already looks like a boy with her short hair… so I guess Spiderman glasses make sense.” _

_ “ _ Yeah _ , Yuri… are you  _ sure _ you’re not a boy?” _

No one else had said anything about her glasses; nobody cared. No one except her friend in her science class, who told her she thought the bright blue color was cool, and looked great against her hair. She’d thanked the girl, feeling confident and even  _ excited _ about her choice in frames; she’d kept them a secret from Jisung, wanting to surprise him because she  _ knew _ he would think they were badass. 

But as she was dropping off her books before lunch period, a smile still on her face while she put the combination into her locker, she was unfortunate enough to have her lockermate- Kyungmi- show up at the same time. The same girl who’d looked like a doll in her fourth grade class, but a little taller now, and just as beautiful, with dainty features and glossy hair halfway down her back. 

They had never liked each other much, and when Kyungmi was with her friends, it was worse; they loved to tease her. 

On a normal day, Yuri forced herself to ignore the off-hand comments about her hair that rested just above her shoulders and the way her uniform skirt made her look frumpy. She was used to it; tried not to let it get to her. 

But there was something different about that day, about the way they’d looked at her, pointing at the glasses she’d been so  _ excited  _ about, laughing with malice and saying the same hurtful things they always did. 

She’d let it get to her. 

Yuri had let the tears come to the surface, a single drop from either eye rolling down her cheeks before she could stop them. For a split second, Kyungmi had looked guilty- like she felt  _ bad  _ for being so harsh- but her friends were laughing around her, and it wasn’t long before she was joining in, closing her locker with a flourish. 

“ _ Bye _ Ewie Yuri _! _ ”

Her old nickname from elementary school; Yuri hadn’t heard it in a while. 

_ Stupid, _ she thought to herself, slamming her locker closed and wiping at her eyes again.  _ Why would you let them bother you like that? _

She knew better. 

It could’ve been the hormones her mom was always telling her about, or the fact that the bubble of excitement from earlier had been popped rather fiercely by Kyungmi and her friends, but either way, her tears wouldn’t go away. 

Frustrated, she adjusted the backpack on her shoulder, turning the opposite direction from the lunchroom and running to the bathrooms. She thought she heard her name being called behind her, but it was faint and her heart was pounding too loudly in her ears for her to properly hear anyway, so she kept walking, rounding the corner quickly. 

Her hands slammed against the girl’s bathroom door, and she was thankful it was empty as she walked inside, letting it snap closed behind her. 

Yuri stopped at the sink, taking off her glasses and resisting the urge to throw them as she laid them on the counter in front of the mirror. She looked at her reflection, sighing when she saw her swollen cheeks and unkempt hair. 

She was a mess. 

This made her tear up  _ again _ \- what was  _ wrong  _ with her?- and she bit her lip, hastily wiping the tears away. 

“ _ Are those glasses supposed to be for  _ you _?”  _

Yuri could still see Kyungmi’s friend- Sooah maybe?- sneering at her as she stared at the frames. 

“ _ Why are they so  _ blue _?” _

“ _ Wow, Yuri,  _ great _ style- _ ”

“Yuri?”

She jumped, turning around to see Jisung hesitantly walking inside, eyes growing wide when he got a look at her face. 

“Sungie,” she breathed, moving the hair off her cheeks as she took a shaky breath. “You scared me.”

“Why are you crying?” he asked, the door closing behind him as he searched her eyes. 

The pure concern on his face had her swallowing around another lump in her throat as she looked away from him. 

“I don’t know, I just-”

She felt silly,  _ pathetic  _ all over again as she glanced at her glasses, the frames she’d thought were  _ so cool _ in the optical shop just the week before. 

Yuri could see Jisung walking closer in her peripheral vision, but she didn’t look up, wiping at her nose with the sleeve of her uniform jacket. 

“What’s wrong?”

She turned to look at him, watching him glance between her and the frames on the counter. 

“Are these your new glasses?”

He picked them up, looking at the side and smiling at the spiderman etched into the plastic, shooting a web out of his hand. His eyes met hers again, smile fading when he saw the tears still lingering in the corners. 

“Did something happen?”

It still amazed Yuri, that Jisung was the same little boy she had met just three years ago. They were thirteen going on fourteen, and he was only a tad shorter than her now-  _ eye _ level- speaking so much more than he used to.

Only to  _ her  _ of course. 

He was more comfortable with her than anyone else, just as she was with him, and asked her questions all the time now, something he never did before. He talked a  _ lot _ actually- Yuri would’ve never known he was such a chatterbox- and every day he seemed to come a little more out of his shell. 

“I-I don’t know,” she told him shakily, words strained as she tried to speak through yet another round of tears. “I just- my glasses are here today and I wanted to wear them- t-to show you that they were Spiderman-”

Jisung’s eyes grew wider at the tears that started pouring down her cheeks, and he put the glasses down carefully, looking unsure on what to do. 

“Kyungmi and her friends saw me and said I look like a  _ boy- _ ” she choked out, feeling ridiculous as she buried her face in her hands. “Because Spiderman is for boys-”

“I-I think they’re cool,” Jisung spoke loud enough for her to hear, stuttering a bit as he tried to keep his tone bright. “Blue is your favorite color-”

“Apparently they’re  _ not  _ cool,” Yuri said softly, voice still muffled by her hands. “I look like a  _ boy _ , Sungie. That’s what they said.”

It was silent for a moment as she sniffled, taking a deep breath and willing herself to get a grip. 

She wasn’t sure why those words had hurt her so bad. 

Another beat of silence and she heard Jisung’s retreating footsteps, looking up from her hands just in time to see the bathroom door swinging closed behind him. 

Yuri stared at the door, feeling worse than she did just moments ago; even with unsure eyes and a scared expression, having Jisung there always made her feel better. 

He would never hurt her on purpose. 

But now she was alone, a little surprised by her best friend’s abrupt departure.

_ Maybe he just now realized he’s in the girl’s bathroom? _

She had just turned to face the sink, flipping on the faucet as she attempted to wash her face the best she could, when the door was creaking open again and she was looking over her shoulder. 

Jisung was walking back in, holding a bag of peanut M&M’s in his hand- her  _ favorite _ \- already carefully tearing them open. 

Yuri slowly turned off the sink, watching as he held them out for her, giving her another one of his small smiles. 

“Eat these.” 

His voice was soft, getting lower with adolescence, and she took them without protest. He immediately moved to one of the stalls behind them, pulling toilet paper off the roll and handing her a big bundle. 

Jisung was always moving fast like that; despite getting a little taller and his face thinning out just slightly, he still reminded her of a little, adorable squirrel. 

She took the tissue, wiping at her face gingerly as she watched him pick up her frames, turning them in his hands and inspecting them for a moment. Then he was gently putting them on her face, and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, fearing he might poke them on accident. When she opened back up, he was smiling at her, adjusting the frames just slightly and pulling back to look at her. 

Jisung hesitated, eyes darting between hers for only a moment before he was leaning forward, wrapping his arms gently around her in a hug. She laughed despite herself, resting her hands on the small of his back awkwardly, still holding the M&M’s and bundle of toilet paper. They stayed like that for a minute, the warmth of his familiar embrace calming her nerves, her cheek resting on his bony shoulder. 

She felt better, body relaxing, tears finally ceasing as she sniffed softly, feeling a little ridiculous, but also content. 

_ Don’t let them get to you _ .

Luckily she spoke Jisung’s silent language, knowing that’s exactly what he was saying with his actions. 

_ The glasses are fine _ .

He pulled away, taking the tissue from her hands and throwing it in the trash can before grabbing her wrist.

“Come on…” he said gently, giving her a small smile that she returned, hoping he knew how grateful she was without words. “Let’s go.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh my gosh…”

Jiae’s eyes were sparkling as she looked up at her Grandma, who immediately laughed at the look on her face. 

“They’re soulmates!” Jiae squealed, bouncing in the armchair. “He only talks to  _ her _ ? They can talk to each other without actually  _ saying  _ anything? And they were only  _ thirteen _ !  _ Please _ tell me they get married!”

Her Grandma continued to laugh loudly, eyes disappearing again as she slowly stood from her rocking chair. 

“There’s a lot more to the story than  _ that _ ,” she said gently. 

She began moving the rocking chair across the floor and Jiae tried to help, but she was waved away again. 

“I’ll do it, don’t you worry about me.” 

She was closer now, sitting back into the chair with a sigh and locking eyes with Jiae once more. 

“I’m ready whenever you are.” 

“You’re not going to tell me if they get married,” Jiae asked with a laugh. “Are you?”

“No…” her Grandma leaned back, closing her eyes again as she folded her hands in her lap. “Just keep going… there’s still a  _ lot _ more…”

Jiae took a deep breath, continuing to read where she left off, a new date written neatly at the top. 

_ “Jisung and I stayed friends-  _ close _ friends- the kind that begged their mothers for sleepovers every weekend, even though technically, we were a boy and a girl. We always shared our snacks, fought like siblings and laughed about things only the two of us would ever think was funny.  _

_ Our friendship withstood the rest of middle school and the changes that come with it. It carried on into high school and- for the first time- Jisung was taller than me. I’d grown out of my insecurity phase, going back to speaking my mind and acting before thinking, something Jisung always teased me about. We’d both lost our braces, I’d learned to remember to brush my hair every morning, and we finally found clothes that fit us well. _

_ Jisung joined theater after I told him he should, because he loved movies and music far too much not to, and he fell in love, coming into his own and talking everyone else’s ear off, instead of just mine. He got into producing music and acting, while I grew more and more interested in writing. I’d joined the newspaper and yearbook club, and made some girl friends like my mother so desperately wanted me to. _

_ But at the end of the day, there was no one else that could replace Jisung, my best friend, the one who read every single article before I published it in the paper and who’s plays I never missed, buying a ticket for every night it showed.  _

_ He was charismatic, and the girls started thinking he was hot by our sophomore year, something that always had me wrinkling my nose in disgust and confusion. To me, he was still a baby squirrel who moved just as fast as I did and still tripped over his words, despite having much more to say. In my mind, he was still shorter than me- even when he constantly reminded me he was taller- and he was still just… Jisung. _

_ It shocked me, but he had quite a few  _ girlfriends _ while we were in high school. They never lasted long, as if he didn’t care too much about having one. He was a good boyfriend from what I heard- something that both surprised me and didn’t- but he always cut them off for numerous reasons, and my guess was that he didn’t like being tied down. He spent most of his life quiet and in his shell, so when high school broke him free, I wasn’t sure that being committed to a girl was something he was too interested in.  _

_ I was the complete opposite; boy crazy and wanting a boyfriend more than anything in the world. I was very particular, picking model-like men to have crushes on, something Jisung never failed to make fun of me for.  _

_ It wasn’t until my junior year of high school, sixteen years old, that I met the man I was  _ convinced _ I was going to marry… _

_ Jeon Jungkook _ . 

_ Tall, dark and handsome, he was everything I wanted in a guy, and even better, he wanted me  _ back _. He asked me out rather unexpectedly, after we spent the first two months of the school year talking in my math class. We stayed together for a long time, almost six months, the longest relationship I’d ever had, and I was happy.  _

_ But the month before prom, he became distant, not answering my calls as often and taking forever to text me back, if he did at all. Unfortunately, I was too naive to put the pieces together myself, and ended up figuring out the hard way why  _ exactly  _ he was avoiding me... _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, March 3, 2017_ **

“Yuri, Yuri, Yuri!”

Yuri looked up from the DVD case she was holding, Jisung standing next to her with  _ Freddy Vs. Jason _ gripped tightly in his hands, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“What?!  _ Yes! _ ” she nodded instantly, both of them laughing as they looked at the movie. “We are  _ definitely _ renting that.” 

It was a typical Friday night; the two of them walking to the shopping district down the street from his house, getting movies at the only rental chain left, and planning on buying a ridiculous amount of snacks to stuff their faces with while they watched. Yuri was relying on that night to be fun enough to keep her attention on  _ movies _ and not on her boyfriend of five months who was acting…

Weird.

“I can’t believe it’s back!” Jisung said excitedly, tucking the movie under his arm and standing closer so he could read her case. “What’s that?”

“ _ Everything, Everything _ ,” she said, watching Jisung wrinkle his nose as he looked at her with raised eyebrows. “ _ What _ ? I read the book, it was good!”

“Isn’t that the one about the guy who can’t leave his house ‘cause he’s sick all the time?” he asked, already scanning the aisle for a different movie, moving slowly away from her. 

“Yeah...” she sighed, looking down at the case again; would that  _ really  _ cheer her up? “Maybe we  _ shouldn’t  _ watch it.”

“Right. I thought the whole point of a movie marathon was to make you  _ happy _ ,” Jisung said, picking out a movie and grinning as he held it up, wiggling his eyebrows. “Wanna watch  _ Fifty Shades Darker _ ?”

“Oh my god,  _ really _ ?!” she exclaimed with a giggle, whacking him on the arm with her DVD case as he laughed, unable to dodge her in time. “Not with  _ you _ ! With  _ Jungkook _ , maybe…”

Jisung snorted as he put the movie back, watching Yuri fish her phone out of her pocket. 

“He doesn’t seem like the type-”

“ _ Ugh _ ,” she sighed in exasperation, her phone still showing nothing but her latest background on her screen. “ _ Why _ won’t Jungkook text me back?”

“Maybe he’s busy?” Jisung answered unhelpfully, watching as she slammed  _ Everything, Everything _ back where it went with more force than necessary. 

“For  _ seventeen hours _ ?” Yuri asked incredulously, watching Jisung wince. “The last text I got from him was ‘ _ Sorry just got this, I fell asleep _ ’ when I texted him goodnight yesterday…”

“ _ Yikes _ ,” he cringed as Yuri moved to stand next to him again, watching him turn to look at her. “I’m sorry, Yu...”

She sighed, stuffing her phone back in her pocket, bottom lip coming out in a slight pout. 

“Come on,” he threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her down the aisle and towards the horror section. “Let’s get something to distract you, yeah?”

Jisung grinned brightly, and she smiled reluctantly back, nodding once and letting him lead her along. 

The store was mostly empty, only one family and a couple walking the aisles. There was a kid’s movie playing on the TVs mounted along the walls, the music catchy as Jisung and Yuri rocked subconsciously back and forth to the song. The aisles were narrow and stuffed to the brim with movies, two sections on either side of the building with a check out desk and gigantic snack display in the middle. They’d been going there since they were old enough to walk to the store by themselves, and Yuri had been meaning to take Jungkook sometime, see what kind of movies he liked.

Maybe she would suggest that when he finally answered her.

“I just don’t understand why he’s doing this,” she admitted, shaking her head at her own thoughts before bumping Jisung in the side. “Can’t you just read into his psyche or something and figure out what’s going on? I thought having a guy best friend was supposed to be  _ useful _ .”

Yuri was teasing of course, trying not to be  _ too much _ of a downer. 

“Psh,  _ yeah _ ,” Jisung looked sideways at her, raising his eyebrows. “Well I thought having a  _ girl  _ best friend would be useful too, but you  _ always _ leave me in the dust-”

“Yah, those girls you go after are mysterious as hell,” Yuri said with a laugh, shoving him lightly in the ribs. “I don’t think  _ Sherlock Holmes _ could figure them ou-” 

“Sherlock Holmes!” Jisung jumped away and she nearly fell from the sudden lack of support, watching his eyes widen as he looked at her. “Wanna watch  _ that _ ?”

“YES!” 

It was one of their favorites, and it had been at least a month since they’d put it on.

“Go get it! I’ll get another scary one!”

She grabbed his shoulders, turning him around and pushing him towards the opposite aisle.

“Okay!” 

Jisung was already moving quickly down the aisle, jogging backward to salute her while his hair bounced with the rest of his body before he faced forward again, moving to “Action/Adventure” on the other side of the store. Yuri giggled, watching him for a moment before digging her phone out of her pocket, uselessly lighting up the screen to see there was still  _ no answer _ from Jungkook. 

It was almost a month now that he’d been doing this; taking forever to text her back, forgetting to call, postponing their hang outs because he was “busy”. She knew he had soccer practice and a big art project due, so she tried to keep her cool, but something about it felt…

_ Intentional _

She scanned the aisle, looking at the titles of the different movies, trying to decide what they should watch. Something legitimately scary? Something funny? Something gory?

She reached for  _ Attack of the Killer Donuts _ , snorting at the title as she read the back. It looked ridiculous, the perfect level of corny that would have her and Jisung chuckling as they stuffed their faces with popcorn, chocolate and Twizzlers, both of them crying with laughter because it was late at night and they always got loopy when they stayed up too late.

“Boo!”

“ _ Ah _ !” Yuri yelped, Jisung letting go of her arms and laughing as she spun around to look at him. “ _ Dammit _ , Jisung, how the hell do you turn into a  _ ninja  _ like that?”

“Magic,” he replied, completely deadpan before grinning, holding up  _ Sherlock Holmes _ . “Got the movie. Wanna go?”

“Shouldn’t we get a few more?” she asked, turning back to the horror movies. “I’ve got  _ Attack of the Killer Donuts- _ ”

“Attack of the  _ what _ ?” 

Jisung laughed, yanking the movie out of her hand and reading the back as she continued to scan the shelves. 

“What the hell  _ is _ this?” he muttered to himself, still grinning down at the cover just as Yuri grabbed  _ Nightmare on Elm Street _ off the shelf. 

“Wanna watch a classic?” she asked, grinning at him as she shook the box. 

“How many movies do you expect us to watch?” he asked with a chuckle. “We’re just gonna talk through all of them anyway.”

Yuri sighed- she knew he was right- putting the movie under her arm anyway as she looked at her phone  _ again _ .

Still nothing. 

“I just need to stop worrying,” she told him, voice much quieter than it had been just moments ago. 

“Yu…” Jisung’s voice was softer too, taking the movie from her arm and putting it with the rest of theirs. “Why don’t you just  _ talk _ to him?”

“I  _ ha _ -”

“In  _ person _ ,” he interrupted. “We’ve got school, Monday. I know you guys are on opposite ends of the building since he’s a freshman and all, but just… I don’t know, try to catch him at his locker or something. See what’s going on.”

Yuri fiddled with her phone, locking and unlocking the screen as she glanced hopefully at the device; still blank.

“I don’t want to be, you know,  _ pushy _ …”

It was true; Jungkook was really important to her, and she was worried if she got  _ too _ confrontational about the whole thing, she might just lose him. Even though it was going against every nerve in her body to wait it out, she thought maybe being  _ patient  _ was the best move in this situation.

Right? 

“ _ Yuri _ , doesn’t want to be  _ pushy _ ?”

She smacked Jisung on the arm, his dramatically shocked expression dropping as he busted out laughing.

“I’m serious!” she insisted, watching him flick his hair out of his face, still grinning at her. “I don’t wanna…”

Yuri exhaled, hesitating before her eyes were darting away from Jisung’s face. 

“I don’t wanna lose him.”

A beat of silence passed, and she glanced up at her best friend to see him pressing his lips together, almost as if he wanted to say something. Yuri was just about to ask him what he was thinking when he reached around her, grabbing another movie off the shelf. 

“Well if we’re staying up late, we’re not getting  _ Nightmare on Elm Street _ without this one.”

He was wiggling  _ Friday the 13th _ , and she laughed, watching him add it to their collection under his arm. 

“Can we get lots of snacks?” Yuri asked, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the center of the store. “Popcorn and M&M’s and Nerds Ropes and Twizzlers-”

Jisung laughed as they walked quickly towards the snack display, joining in. 

“-Cookie Dough Bites, Sour Gummy Worms, Pop Rocks, and Snickers-”

“Yes!” Yuri laughed, both of them maneuvering around the many shelves of candy, grabbing as much as they could carry off the shelf. “Oh! Can we get Nacho cheese powder? For the popcorn?”

“You guys can set it here on the counter,” a soft, female voice spoke from behind them, and they both whipped around to see the only worker leaning casually behind the counter. “It looks like your hands are a bit full.”

Yuri’s first thought was that this girl was  _ beautiful _ ; long, silky hair that was the perfect level of wavy she herself had never been able to accomplish, a thin but curvy figure that was obvious even beneath her uniform and a face she’d expect to see in a cosmetic ad. The girl was smiling playfully, eyes darting between the two, gaze lingering on Jisung as her lips pulled up a little more. 

“Thanks!” Yuri said, pulling Jisung with her as they dumped all their stuff unceremoniously onto the counter. “Don’t judge us; we might really eat all this.”

Jisung chuckled, looking a little embarrassed, but the girl just giggled, her eyes jumping from Yuri back to him as her smile brightened. 

“No judgement.”

_ Ah _ , Yuri wished she could be like that, so soft-spoken but confident, the perfect expression to make you wonder if she’s really judging or not; this girl was a babe. 

She giggled before skipping back to the snack cart, Jisung stumbling behind her as they were still connected by their intertwined fingers. 

“Did we get Twizzlers?” she asked, Jisung immediately grabbing them off the shelf. 

“No,” he replied, and she glanced over at him, noticing for the first time that his ears were  _ pink _ . 

“What-?” Yuri stopped, a slow smile creeping on her face when she realized Jisung was  _ blushing _ . 

He made eye contact with her and chuckled slightly, immediately looking away and training his eyes back on the shelves. 

“Anything  _ else  _ you want?”

Yuri was teasing him, and he laughed again as he shook his head. 

“ _ No _ ,” he replied, rolling his eyes at her innuendo. “Let’s go.”

They walked back up to the counter, Jisung placing the Twizzlers on the humongous pile that had accumulated, the girl behind the counter smiling before beginning to ring them up. 

“So… you guys having a date night in?” she asked casually, both of them jumping, glancing at each other before looking back at her with identical laughs. 

“Uh no,” Yuri answered, shaking her head quickly. “He’s not-”

“Yeah, we’re just friends-” Jisung assured her. 

The girl stopped mid-scan holding one of the popcorn tubs, as her eyes travelled down to their hands, still clasped together. 

“Oh,” she nodded towards their fingers. “I just assumed-”

Jisung immediately shook his hand out of Yuri’s, but she was already loosening her grip. 

“We do that all the time,” Yuri said with another laugh, watching the girl smile slightly. “Like siblings, nothing like that-”

“ _ Ah _ ,” the girl nodded slowly, scanning the rest of their things quickly, watching as Jisung immediately dug out his wallet. “I see.”

“I can pay,” Yuri dug around her worn-out purse. “You got it last time-”

He was already handing over his card, and she sighed in mock annoyance, the girl smiling at Jisung for a lingering moment before swiping the card. Her eyes were more than a little flirty now, and Yuri watched, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. 

This girl was  _ so  _ into Jisung right now. 

As the receipt printed, the girl bagged all their things quickly, scooting them across the counter as she leaned on her elbows, turning her head to the side and looking at Jisung again.

_ Should I leave? _

Yuri was thinking she might just grab the bags and get out of there when the girl spoke, interrupting her train of thought.

“So if you guys are just friends, does that mean you’re single?”

Jisung’s eyes widened for just a second, clearly taken aback by her boldness, before he was laughing softly and nodding. He was looking down for a moment before glancing up at her through his lashes, hands stuffed in his pockets. 

_ Gross _

Yuri resisted the urge to gag, watching the girl smile, clearly charmed by him before she was ripping off the receipt, grabbing a pen from the cup next to the register. 

“Perfect.”

She wrote her name and number with a flourish, making sure to draw a small heart before handing it to him. 

“Call me some time.”

Yuri grabbed the bags for Jisung, feeling like she should  _ not _ be there, backing away as subtly as she could. 

“Will do.”

_ Gross _

His voice was  _ different _ \- lower and a little more flirty- and even as Yuri busied herself with getting her phone out of her pocket, she knew he was letting his hair hang a little in his face, eyes locking with hers in a way that always had girls a little weak in the knees. 

Well all girls except  _ her  _ of course.

The girl giggled and Jisung laughed, but the family that had been wandering the aisles was ready, the littlest child running unawarely to the counter. 

“Hello!”

He waved enthusiastically, throwing all of his Power Rangers movies onto the counter at once. Jisung caught them before they could cascade to the other side of the counter, laughing and smiling at the child before turning back to his admirer. 

“I’ll call you.”

“Okay,” she smiled flirtily at him, giving him a small wave. “Guess I’ll talk to you soon.”

_ Wow… _

She was amazing, bold enough to make that move but demure enough to make it seem like she didn’t care if Jisung messaged her or not. He seemed just as smitten as Yuri- maybe more- turning on his heel and shoving his hands back in his pockets as he grinned, eyes wide with excitement as they locked with hers. 

Yuri wiggled her eyebrows, smirking at him before they walked side by side out the door. 

“Wow…” Jisung spoke her thoughts out loud as soon as the door to the movie store shut behind them. “She was…”

He looked down at the receipt, still in awe, and Yuri snorted with laughter, handing him one of the bags. 

“Good job, best friend, she is  _ just _ your type.”

He took the bag, finally tearing his eyes from the receipt to look at her, still grinning. 

“What? I don’t have a  _ type _ -”

“ _ WOW _ they have the new spring cakes out!”

Yuri screeched to a halt, nose centimeters from the window of the cake and ice cream shop just next door. The cakes on display were  _ beautiful _ , all pastel colors and perfectly crafted icing flowers. They were big- one of them three tiers tall- and Yuri wondered if she and Jungkook should share one sometime. 

“They’re really nice,” Jisung said, moving to stand next to her and looking in the window. 

She saw him look down at the receipt again out of the corner of her eye as she smiled at the small bunny made out of marshmallows on one of the cakes. 

“I’m definitely going to call her,” he sounded thoughtful. “She was hot, wasn’t she? I can’t believe she wanted my number.”

“I can,” Yuri replied distractedly, eyes moving to the smallest cake in the display window, a baby chick waddling across icing-made grass. 

“Wonder what kind of date I should take her on…” he didn’t hear her response, folding the receipt carefully in her peripheral vision. “She seems cool, maybe she’d like to see a scary movie with me?  _ Ah _ , she was kind of mysterious though, wasn’t she? It was hard to figure her out…”

Yuri grinned at him, shaking her head before looking back in the window. The lights were still on inside, the ice cream shop usually open late on Friday nights. It was the first time she had let her eyes move past the cakes, glancing at the mostly empty dining area, just a few straggling couples sitting at the small sets of tables and chairs. 

“-or I could take her laser tagging… I don’t know if that’s a good first date, though-”

She was vaguely listening to him, eyes jumping to a cute guy sitting at one of the tables. He was a bit broad in the shoulders, messy dark hair, and he turned his head , giving her a view of his side profile as he looked at the girl sitting across from him. 

Her stomach twisted a little as she took in his features.

“-start with texting her and maybe I can just figure out what she likes and go from there-”

His  _ hair _ , it was strikingly familiar, even all the way in the back of the shop like he was. His eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled, nose scrunched up and she watched the guy reach across the table, taking the girl’s hand in his-

“-mess it up like I did with Eunmi, our first date was a  _ disaster _ . She still stuck around though, which was nice, until she- Yuri?”

She jumped back from the window, heart slamming hard against the walls of her chest, pounding in her ears, the sound so deafening she almost didn’t hear Jisung’s voice right next to her. 

_ Jungkook _

Jungkook was in there with that other girl.

Smiling at her. 

Holding her hand.

_ That’s why he hasn’t texted me back _

“What’s wrong?”

Jisung sounded far away as Yuri felt her face burn, anger spreading quick through her veins, hot and fast, and she was seeing red. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes away from Jungkook and the girl, their hands still folded together-

“Yuri!”

She completely ignored Jisung, their bag of stuff falling out of her hands as she stormed into the shop, the door swinging open at record speed from the force of her push. The music inside was loud, the chatter echoing off the tile floors, and she barely heard the tinkle of the bell announcing her arrival. 

Yuri reached the table in the back quickly, chest clenching as Jungkook looked up at her, smile falling from his face as his eyes widened. 

“Jungkook.”

She’d wanted to sound angry- fierce and  _ scary _ \- but instead she choked on his name, feeling the burn of tears in her eyes for the first time. 

“Yuri…”

He looked guilty, glancing at the girl across from him before staring back up at her. 

“Who’s  _ this _ ?” 

She pointed shakily at the girl, who was now scowling, looking between her and Jungkook. 

“Yuri, I’ve been meaning to talk to y-”

“About  _ what _ ?” his words were bringing her anger back to the surface, mixing with the pain of his betrayal, stomach twisting at the way he was looking at her. “Is this why you haven’t been answering my texts? Why you haven’t called me back?!”

Her voice was getting louder now, carrying over the music as a few people at the surrounding tables turned to look at her. 

“Is this your girlfriend or something?”

The girl spoke for the first time, and Yuri spared her a glance; she still had her uniform on, telling her she was from a different school. 

How long had Jungkook been getting away with this?

She vaguely heard the ring of the bell for the store, but ignored it, nodding to answer the girl’s question. 

“Yeah, I’m his girlfriend,” she snapped, knowing she couldn’t be mad at this girl, as much as she wanted to; she was obviously just as clueless as Yuri was. “Of five months actually. Don’t waste your time, clearly he’s a piece of  _ shit- _ ”

She felt someone wrap their hand around her wrist and looked up. Jisung’s eyebrows were furrowed, looking at her, the girl, and then Jungkook, scowling as he realized what was going on. 

“Yuri, I’m sorry, I was going to tell you-” Jungkook began.

“You were going to  _ tell _ me? What, that you were  _ cheating _ on me?!”

She was definitely too loud now, and  _ shit _ her angry tears had slipped down her face-

“Yuri, come on.”

Jisung’s hand slid from her wrist to her hand, gripping her fingers tightly. She looked up at him, but his eyes were on Jungkook as he pulled gently on Yuri’s arm. 

“There’s much better ways to get back at him than this.”

The glare was quick, his eyes dark before he was smirking, finally looking at Yuri. She turned to Jungkook once more, watching the way his eyes darted between the two of them, looking  _ nervous _ . Then she looked at the girl, who seemed extremely uncomfortable, gripping her purse with both hands in her lap, looking down at her fingers. 

“Right,” she breathed, swallowing hard as she turned back at Jisung, the man watching her closely. “Yeah, let’s go…”

She could feel the anger subsiding, replaced with  _ pain _ , a sharp stab in her chest as she looked at Jungkook one last time. He was chewing on his bottom lip, rubbing the back of his neck, staring at the table in between him and the poor girl he was with, and she realized that it was  _ over _ between them. 

That he had actually cheated on her. 

She couldn’t believe it. 

Jisung was pulling her a little harder now, walking forward, and she tore her eyes away from her boyfriend- her  _ ex _ boyfriend- swallowing around the lump in her throat as she stared at the back of Jisung’s head. He paused at the small condiments counter by the door, grabbing a few napkins before leading the way out, the bell above them ringing again. 

Jisung scooped the bags up in one fluid motion from the ground, pulling her along the sidewalk until they were stopping at a streetlight just a few shops down the street. 

“Here.”

He handed her the napkins, letting go of her hand as he turned to face her. Yuri took them silently, dabbing at her face and eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath. 

“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath. “Why the hell am I so stupid?”

Jisung sighed, running a quick hand through his hair as he glared at the side walk. 

“You’re not stupid, Yu, he’s just an  _ ass _ .”

He said it like he  _ knew _ it already, like he wasn’t that surprised, like this confirmed some sort of theory he already had-

“But, like I said, there’s better ways to get back at him than that.”

Yuri ignored her thoughts, reluctantly laughing at the smirk that was on his face once more; he was such a little shit sometimes.

“Did you-” damn her voice for sounding so  _ broken _ right now. “-have an  _ idea  _ already?”

“Yeah,” Jisung threw his arm around her again, giving her a reassuring smile before walking them down the sidewalk in the direction of his house. “I think I’ve got something in mind.”

* * *

* * *

Jiae stopped reading for a moment, looking up at her Grandma, who was smiling down at her. 

“Jungkook  _ cheated  _ on her?”

She wasn’t sure why she was surprised- it  _ had _ been said at the beginning that things didn’t work out with Jungkook- but it still made her sad. 

She liked Yuri. 

“Yes,” her Grandma’s smile faded as she nodded, rocking a little in the chair. “It broke her heart… for a long time.”

“Do they get him back?” Jiae asked, glancing down at the notebook. 

“Go on.”

Her Grandma leaned forward, turning the page for her to a new date. 

“There’s only one way to find out.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Jiae paused as she realized the hand-writing was completely different on the next pages of her Grandmother’s notebook, smoothing down the paper with her fingers. 

“Wait a minute…” she looked up, watching the older lean gently back into the rocking chair. “You aren’t the only one who wrote this?”

“No,” she answered simply, looking at Jiae with a shake of her head. “I had a…”

She hesitated, a twinkle in her eye as she smiled. 

“ _ Friend _ , help me out.”

“A friend?” Jiae repeated, grinning at her Grandmother’s expression. “He was a writer, too?”

“He didn’t think he was,” she replied. “But I begged and  _ begged _ him to help me write this, needing a man’s perspective on some of this.”

Jiae nodded- she knew the struggle of trying to write for two different genders.

“He eventually gave in,” she continued, her smile turning triumphant. “And I think he figured out he was a better writer than he gave himself credit for. He always thought he was more of a…  _ poetry _ guy.”

“Hmm,” Jiae moved her eyes back to the page. “So is he writing from Jisung's point of view?”

“Yes.” 

She nodded, taking a deep breath before she started reading out loud once more. 

“ _ Yuri and I walked home that night, and she was quiet as I came up with a plan in my head on how to get Jungkook back; the perfect plan that would keep us out of trouble, but humiliate him as much as I wanted him to be. _

_ I never cared too much for Jungkook.  _

_ Yuri cried later on and spent the night at my house while I made sure she had lots of snacks and her favorite blanket from my bed. She fell asleep halfway through  _ Freddy Vs. Jason _ , and I let her crash there; my mom never cared if Yuri stayed over.  _

_ I always wished she’d let me have  _ other  _ girls over, too.  _

_ It took me a week to get my plan right; to make sure we wouldn’t mess up. Once I had everything figured out, I explained it all to Yuri, who was down for trouble like she always was- _ ”

Jiae and her Grandma both chuckled at that before she continued reading. 

“- _ I was in Jungkook’s gym class the second to last period of the day, and that’s where I planned on carrying out my payback; the  _ locker room _ , where there was way less risk of getting caught... _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, March 10, 2017_ **

“Sungie, are you  _ sure _ this is going to work?”

Jisung watched Yuri pull her math book from her locker, putting it into her bag before looking at him with worried eyes. 

“What if you get caught?”

“I’m  _ not _ gonna get caught if I do it right,” he assured her, rolling his eyes at her mom-antics; he’d had this conversation with her three times already. “And since when do you care about me getting in trouble, huh?”

He bumped his shoulder against hers as she slammed her locker closed. 

“ _ True _ ,” she agreed, grinning playfully at him. “But usually  _ I’m _ the one who gets caught… not you.”

“ _ Ah _ , that’s true, I’m  _ much  _ more smooth than you are-”

“Shut up, that is  _ not _ what I meant-”

Yuri was shoving him hard and he nearly lost his balance, both of them laughing as they made their way down the hallway, a few students chuckling at them as they passed by. 

“You’re gonna text me as soon as you’ve done it, right?” she asked, stopping in front of her classroom and turning to look at him with sharp eyes. 

“Yes,  _ Mom _ ,” he teased, flicking her on the forehead. 

“ _ Yah _ !” she yelped, pressing her hands to the spot as he backed up, sticking his tongue out at her. 

“ _ Anyeong _ !”

Before she could protest, he turned on his heel, still laughing to himself as he jogged to the gym. It wasn’t too far from Yuri’s class, but he was still out of breath when he dug his heels into the tile of the locker room, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. 

The bell rang just as the door shut behind him, and he grinned triumphantly. 

Just in time. 

“Barely made it as usual, Jisung _ ie _ .”

His friend, Changbin, was teasing him as he walked to his locker, but Jisung shook his head, rolling his eyes with a laugh. 

“As long as he’s not tardy, that’s all that matters.” 

Hyunjin was pulling his gym shirt over his head, smirking at Jisung before throwing his uniform in his locker. 

He nodded gratefully, giving Hyunjin a small smile before hurriedly changing into his gym clothes, eyeing the always-open locker just a few down from his own. 

_ Jungkook’s _

“We’ll meet you outside,” Jeongin, one of the few freshmen in the class, said to him as Hyunjin threw an arm around the younger’s shoulders. “I think it’s just kickball again.” 

“I’ll be out in a sec,” he tore his eyes from the locker to face his friends, stuffing his normal clothes blindly into his locker.

“Don’t make us cover for you like last time when you were  _ actually _ tardy,” Changbin chastised, Jisung and Hyunjin both rolling their eyes in unison. 

“Just come  _ on _ .”

Hyunjin yanked him by the back of the shirt, Changbin stumbling as Jeongin cracked up laughing, all three of them exiting the locker room together. 

There was a beat of silence as the door shut behind them, and Jisung waited a moment before digging into his uniform pants pocket, pulling out a mini can of spray paint. He rolled it in his fingers, grinning at the color sample printed on the back.

Bright red.

He knew he didn’t have much time, so gripping the can tighter in his hand, he glanced over his shoulder once more before moving to Jungkook’s locker. Jisung figured he had about three minutes- the coach was always a little slow about getting class moving- before it was truly noticed that he wasn’t there and someone was sent to look for him. 

Carefully pulling Jungkook’s locker open, he found the man’s khaki pants in a messy bundle on top of his shoes. He grabbed them, checking over his shoulder again as he hurriedly shook them out, turning them backside up and spreading them out on the bench in front of the lockers. 

Jisung had never been a big fan of Jungkook, even before Yuri went out with him. He was one of those guys that was good at everything, which would’ve been fine if he wasn’t so  _ cocky _ about it. Girls fawned all over him, and Jungkook let them, staying flirty even  _ after _ he started dating Yuri. 

It made Jisung’s skin itch. 

Sadly, Jungkook cheating on her had not been surprising at  _ all  _ to him. 

Shaking the paint can as quietly as he could, he took the lid off quickly, aiming the nozzle at the back pockets of Jungkook’s pants, pressing gently with his pointer finger until paint came out steadily. 

He’d tried to tell Yuri his thoughts on the man, but it’d been half-hearted; Jisung knew she wouldn’t listen. Once the girl had her mind set on something, she was hard-pressed to let it go, something he both loved and hated about her. 

When Jungkook started growing distant with Yuri, Jisung had watched nervously, knowing whatever the reason, it would surely break Yuri’s heart. 

And sure enough, it had. 

Jisung kept his bottom lip lodged between his teeth as he concentrated, making sure what he was writing was clear on the pants; he wanted Jungkook to be nice and humiliated. 

He couldn’t say he was  _ shocked _ when he walked in behind Yuri into that ice cream shop just the week before, Jungkook looking like a deer caught in headlights with a gorgeous and confused girl sitting across from him and a red-faced Yuri about to cause a scene. Jisung had a feeling the man had probably been doing it for quite a while. 

The thought had made him almost join in with Yuri, wanting to give Jungkook a piece of his own mind and maybe even deck him in the face. 

Yeah… that would’ve been satisfying. 

But the truth was, Jisung wasn’t that guy. He probably wouldn’t even do much  _ damage _ to Jungkook’s face, and would’ve walked out of there looking weak. So instead, he’d grabbed Yuri’s hand and pulled her out of there, because where  _ he  _ had the upper-hand on Jungkook was not strength-

It was  _ intelligence _ . 

Jisung smirked to himself as he pulled back a little, admiring his work.

**C H E A T E R**

If there was one thing he knew about Jungkook, it’s that the man was  _ clueless _ . 

He was the kind of guy that could score every goal for his soccer team but forget all the dates he was required to show up for practice. He was in his own head a lot, and in general, just  _ didn’t pay attention _ .

And Jisung knew if he folded the pants in a way that Jungkook couldn’t see the back of them and he said something casually to the man as he pulled them on, making him look up and not notice the bright red paint on the back, he would totally be able to pull off this whole prank. 

He knew that Jungkook was actually  _ just  _ dense enough to walk around with spray paint on his ass and not even know it. 

Folding the pants in just the right way, Jisung laughed a little, hurriedly putting them where they were on top of Jungkook’s shoes before grabbing the spray paint can. He put the lid back on, placing it at the bottom of his backpack beneath his books and pencil bag. 

He’d have to trash the evidence later. 

Running a hand through his hair and slamming his locker closed, he glanced at the clock. 

He still had a minute to spare. 

Grinning, he broke out into a jog, making his way out of the locker room before anyone could even notice he was missing. 

Jisung leaned casually against the wall in the hallway right outside the gym, tapping his foot as he checked his phone. 

Yuri should be meeting him any second. 

Sure enough, the girl was speed-walking through the throngs of students, grinning from ear to ear as soon as she saw him. 

“Did you do it?” she asked far too loudly as soon as she approached, and Jisung put a hand over her mouth, chuckling slightly. 

“Yuri,  _ shh _ ,” he said, pulling his hand away slowly as he watched her eyes widen. “There’s people from my gym class walking by.”

“Right,” Yuri nodded once, smiling apologetically before joining him to lean against the wall. “Sorry.”

The gym was right outside one of the main hallways in the school, lockers on either wall, students chattering and exiting the classrooms as they walked. 

It was the perfect area for Jungkook to walk right through, everyone seeing the writing on his pants before he did. 

Jisung had distracted Jungkook just as he planned, the man barely unfolding his pants before he was congratulating him on the wicked kick he had made in their kickball game. It  _ had _ been an awesome kick, Jeongin having to run quite far into the field to retrieve it, and Jungkook had smiled unsuredly at Jisung as he pulled his pants on and zipped them up, muttering a quick thank you. 

He’d never glanced at his khakis even once. 

“Shit, there he is,” Yuri hissed. “Oh god, why is he so  _ hot _ ?”

Jisung rolled his eyes, turning to watch Jungkook as he typed something on his phone, one of the last guys out of the locker room. He was making his way past them, not even glancing up as he threw his phone in his front pocket and ran a hand through his freshly washed hair. 

“Ew, why does he have to do that?  _ Gross _ , he’s so sexy-”

“Shut  _ up _ ,” Jisung whispered with a laugh just as Jungkook was making his way in between the lockers, some of the students already glancing at him. 

He  _ was _ rather handsome.

But Jisung was snorting, along with some of the other students as they noticed the bright red paint that stood out like a neon sign on the back of his pants. They were covering their mouths, giggling or staring at Jungkook with wide eyes, the man looking around uneasily. 

“Oh shit…” Yuri said quietly, watching more students start to laugh, a little louder now as he walked farther down the hall, some of them even pointing.

Jisung was proud of his plan, crossing his arms across his chest as he smirked. Jungkook’s face was starting to turn red, eyes wide with confusion as he looked behind him, trying to figure out what they were all pointing at. Some students began to whisper, looking a little concerned as they glanced from the words to Jungkook’s face; why did it say he was a cheater?

Yuri and Jisung watched as one of Jungkook’s friends approached, looking shocked as he stared at his friend before throwing a quick arm around his shoulders. He whispered something in the man’s ear, and Jungkook’s eyes widened before his hands immediately went to his back pockets, uselessly trying to block the word everyone had already seen. 

_ Serves him right _ , Jisung thought to himself. 

The man ran with his friend towards the men’s bathrooms, almost every student in the hallway watching his quick departure. 

Everyone was still chattering excitedly, talking about what had just happened as Yuri and Jisung turned to each other at the same time. 

“You don’t think that was too mean?” Yuri looked unsure, biting her lip as she glanced at the other students. 

“No,” Jisung answered, stepping away from the wall and watching Yuri mimick his actions. “He humiliated you, and that other girl he was with, too. He’s not innocent, either.”

She smiled slightly, swallowing before nodding at his words. 

“Come on,” he said, cocking his head towards the hallway as he grinned at her. “The spray paint’s still in my bag; let’s hide the evidence.” 

Yuri laughed, shaking her head before walking with him, their steps in sync. They exchanged one more grin with one another before chuckling under their breaths, bumping their shoulders together like they always did. 

The plan had gone on without a hitch.

* * *

* * *

Jiae looked up from the pages, grinning but also feeling a little uneasy about the story. 

“That was a bit  _ harsh _ … wasn’t it?” she asked her Grandma, who smiled at the question. 

“It was,” she agreed with a nod. “Jisung could be a bit mischievous, and sometimes he took it too far. Although, I  _ will _ tell you…”

She leaned forward in her seat, lowering her voice as Jiae watched her anxiously. 

“We decided to leave it out of the story- my friend and I- but it turns out, Jungkook had been going out with four different girls at the same time, all at different schools. Jisung’s prank ended up putting the accusation out for everyone to know and well…” she sat back again, smirking. “Word travels fast in high school. It wasn’t long before he was discovered.”

“Wow…” Jiae breathed, staring at the pages as her eyebrows furrowed. “Why did you leave it out?”

“Because the last thing that happened in high school is  _ far _ more important,” her Grandma answered, smiling knowingly as she nodded towards the notebook. “ _ Prom _ .”

“Prom?” Jiae’s eyes lit up at the thought, quickly turning the page as her Grandma chuckled. “ _ Ah _ , let me keep reading…”

The hand-writing was neater, a new date written with a flourish at the top, telling Jiae they were back in Yuri’s point of view. 

“ _ I had never cared too much about prom for most of my life; being a tomboy for the majority of my childhood and one of the clumsiest people in my grade, the thought of a frilly dress and high heels just didn’t appease me. As much as I loved guys, I never pictured myself as the delicate flower girls I imagined  _ going  _ to prom, and thought I would look rather silly all made up like that.  _

_ But after being with Jungkook- after wearing something other than jeans and oversized t-shirts and letting my hair out of the ponytail I stubbornly put it in every day- I realized getting a little dressed up wasn’t all that bad. And so I’d bought my prom dress, alone, months before prom was announced, before we even knew the  _ theme _ , which my friend Junhee in yearbook berated me for, saying I might be out of theme and mess it up.  _

_ Unfortunately, even when it was announced that the theme was just “Casino Night”, and my black dress actually  _ fit _ \- with the subtle shimmer embedded into the fabric, a slit on one side to expose my leg all the way up my thigh- I never planned to take it off the hanger.  _

_ I’d wanted to wear that dress for Jungkook… to knock him off his feet and make him feel lucky he was with me. But cheated on just a month before the event, I didn’t feel as excited about the dress as I had before, and wasn’t so sure I wanted to go after all… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, April 14, 2017_ **

“You’re not gonna go?”

Yuri glanced over at Jisung just as he was stuffing his face with a bite of popcorn, eyes wide as he stared at her. 

“Nah,” she tried to sound nonchalant as she dug into the bowl as well, pulling out her own handful and facing the TV again. “I don’t think I want to…”

They were sitting on his bed, backs against the wall, legs spread out in front of them with bags of snacks and drinks scattered across the mattress.  _ Pet Semetary _ was playing in the background, but both of them had seen it so many times they hardly had to look at the screen to know what was going on.

“Why not?” Jisung spoke through his mouthful of popcorn again, swallowing it quickly as his eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you said you bought a dress?”

“Yeah, well, I  _ did _ ,” she reached for a package of Twizzlers, fiddling with the wrapper and avoiding his eyes. “You know, for  _ Jungkook _ …”

There was a moment of silence, the screams of the main characters on screen the only sound in the room as Yuri slowly peeled open the plastic.

“You can still go without him, you know.”

Jisung’s voice was quieter than usual, the gentle tone he used when he knew Yuri was upset about something. But she didn’t want him to worry about it- didn’t want to  _ talk  _ about it, either- the wound still fresh. She got the candy open, ripping out the first strand of Twizzler and handing it over to him.

“I don’t know, I just don’t see a point in going,” she replied, and it wasn’t a  _ total _ lie; she hadn’t really  _ wanted _ to go before Jungkook. “I’ll be fine. You’re taking Kyungmi, right?”

Kyungmi; the doll-faced girl they’d grown up with, just as beautiful and dainty as she’d always been. She was a little nicer now, Yuri supposed- had gotten more mature and joined theater, where she’d met Jisung- and had stopped hanging out with the mean girls by their sophomore year of high school. Kyungmi and Jisung had been leads in the most recent play together, and they’d been in the  _ talking and flirting _ stage for a while, still unofficial at this point.

Yuri figured prom would be the perfect opportunity for him to fix that.

“Uh, well,” he took a bite of the Twizzler, eyes darting back to the screen as he shrugged. “She never really said anything about wanting to go.”

Yuri laughed at that, shaking her head as she peeled out her own helping of candy.

“Sungie, what  _ girl  _ doesn’t want to go to prom?”

He turned to her with raised eyebrows, giving her a pointed look, and she scoffed.

“Okay, I’m different,” she told him quickly. “I just don’t have anyone to go with.”

“I thought Hyunjin asked you…” Jisung looked thoughtful, stuffing the rest of his Twizzler in his mouth before continuing. “From my gym class?”

Yuri turned away, eating her candy too as she avoided his eyes again.

“Eh,” she replied. “I turned him down.”

She thought of just the week before, when Hwang Hyunjin had taken her to the side after the cooking class they were in, asking her to the dance. 

They got along fairly well, in the same group together, talking and laughing as they attempted to prepare all the crazy recipes Miss Park gave them on a weekly basis. He was handsome-  _ really _ handsome- and Yuri thought he was hilarious, often leaving class in a lot better of a mood than when she’d walked in.

But Hyunjin had always been a friend- even if she  _ did _ think he was cute- because she’d been with  _ Jungkook _ , and she wasn’t interested in other guys. When word travelled around school what Jungkook had done, Hyunjin had stopped her on their way out after class one day, asking her somewhat shyly if he’d go to prom with her.

She’d considered it- Yuri knew she and Hyunjin would have a decent time- but she was still heartbroken, still  _ healing _ , and what if Jungkook went to prom, too? She didn’t think it was fair for Hyunjin to deal with the possibility of her being sad all night; he was too cute and  _ far _ too nice, Yuri thought he deserved a better date than  _ that _ .

Nah, she’d already decided she’d find something else to do, maybe hang out with her mom and dad like they were always begging her to do, or work on that fanfiction she’d been putting off for later. And after prom was over, maybe she and Jisung could have a late night movie marathon or something, and he could tell her all about it-

Yuri paused, glancing over at Jisung again as he dug his hand back into the bowl of popcorn.

She knew what  _ prom night _ meant for most high schoolers and she swallowed the rest of her Twizzler, wondering if he and Kyungmi would be spending the night  _ together  _ after the dance. They weren’t serious, but Jisung’s relationships were  _ never _ serious, and she  _ knew _ how much Kyungmi liked him; Yuri could see it all over the girl’s face.

_ Maybe I should just spend the whole night by myself _ , Yuri thought, cringing a little at the unwanted image of Jisung and Kyungmi spending the night together in his bed, the one she was sitting on  _ right now _ -

“Let’s just go together,” he interrupted her thoughts, leaning forward a little to grab the spicy bbq chips near their feet. “It’ll be fun, right? I mean, you’ve already got a dress, so…”

He ripped the bag open, some of the chips flying out of the bag as they both giggled, Yuri plucking them off his comforter.

“What, you’re just gonna leave Kyungmi hanging like that?” she asked, feeling a little bad for the girl; she  _ knew _ Kyungmi would say yes if Jisung asked.

“She hasn’t said  _ anything _ to me about it,” Jisung answered, his hand disappearing into the chip bag. “And she’s not my girlfriend, anyway. I can go with whoever I want.”

Yuri rolled her eyes- Jisung and his lack of commitment was  _ amusing _ sometimes- thinking of her dress still hanging in perfect condition in her closet back home. She’d  _ loved  _ it when she bought it, her friend Junhee dying over the picture she’d sent, telling her how hot she looked. If she didn’t wear that dress to prom, when would she ever wear it again? And if she saw Jungkook, well…

She glanced over at Jisung who raised his eyes from the bag, giving her a small grin.

_ He _ would be there too, and having her best friend by her side made  _ everything _ a little easier.

“Alright, yeah,” she smiled back, digging her hand into the bag of chips with a small laugh. “Let’s go together.”

* * *

* * *

“Oh my  _ gosh _ , they’re going to kiss there, aren’t they?”

Jiae’s eyes widened with excitement, bouncing a little in the arm chair as she looked up at her Grandma. The older just smiled mischievously, her lips pressed together letting Jiae know she wasn’t saying  _ anything _ .

“Right, right, I’m sorry,” she sighed, eyes darting back to the page. “Keep reading…”

* * *

* * *

**_Saturday, April 22, 2017_ **

Yuri stood in her bedroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror as she turned from side to side.

The dress was exactly as she remembered it when she tried it on in the store- sleek, and form-fitting, the slip up the side adding a dash of sexy that made Yuri feel so…  _ feminine _ . She smiled at her reflection, wondering if maybe she should put on some lip gloss to accompany the shimmery powder she’d dusted on her eyelids hours ago. Her hair was in a simple, half-up style, the curls her mom had done for her earlier already falling in loose waves, strands brushing against her exposed collarbones.

Sighing, she knew she didn’t have much more time to waste- prom was in just a couple hours and she already expected her parents would want to take a thousand pictures. 

Plus, Jisung had been waiting forever, ready a  _ lot _ earlier than she had been.

She slipped her feet into the silver, sparkly flats she’d bought to go with the dress before moving to her bedroom door, throwing it open and moving down the hall to her bathroom.

The light was already on, Jisung standing in front of the mirror, reaching up to fix his gelled back hair. 

“Hey,” Yuri said brightly, shuffling behind him and immediately pulling one of the drawers open beneath the sink. “You ready?”

“I’ve been ready for forever now,” he teased, chuckling a little as he turned to watch her. “Are you  _ still _ putting makeup on?”

“I don’t even have that much on,” she rolled her eyes at him, pulling out the pink lip gloss she hardly ever used and twisting off the cap. “It’s not my fault dudes are so handsome they only take, like,  _ two seconds _ to get ready.”

“Not  _ all  _ dudes,” Jisung joked just as Yuri was pressing the brush of the gloss against her lips. “Just me.”

She snorted with laughter, almost messing up the gloss before pulling back to smirk at him.

“You keep telling yourself that, Sungie.”

They grinned at each other in the mirror, sighing simultaneously as they looked at their reflections for a moment.

Jisung  _ did _ look handsome tonight; with a white button up shirt rolled up at the sleeves, a thin black tie hanging loosely around his neck, and matching black pants that fit him very well. His usually messy hair was stringy with gel, all the strands pushed back and off his face, a far part on the right side; she wasn’t used to seeing so much of his face.

“How come you got so much taller than me?” Yuri complained, staring at the two of them side by side in the mirror. “You’re not even that  _ tall _ ; I’m just short as fuck.”

“I mean you could try wearing  _ heels _ ,” Jisung suggested with a shit-eating grin. “But I think we both know you’ll fall flat on your face, so-”

Yuri smacked him on the arm, both of them laughing at the same time as she glanced at his face again, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Let me fix this,” she said, reaching up for his hair and pulling a little on the top strands. “You look weird-”

“What-?”

“Just lemme-”

Yuri unstuck some of the pieces in the front, letting them fall a little on his forehead, Jisung glancing up at her through his lashes.

“Much better,” she said with a grin, stepping back to admire her work.

She liked him a little better with messy hair; he just looked more like  _ Jisung _ .

“Thanks,” he said somewhat sarcastically, glancing in the mirror and fingering one of the gelled up strands hanging in front of his face.

Yuri was feeling a little nervous now, glancing at her reflection in the mirror again before turning back to him.

“Does it look alright?” she asked, holding her arms out and doing one full spin. 

Jisung was smiling when she faced him again, the teasing gone from his eyes as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“You look really pretty.”

She smiled right back, the sincerity in his words  _ just _ the reassurance she needed.

“You too,” she told him, motioning up and down his outfit. “Who knew you cleaned up so nice?”

“Everyone?” he joked, making her scoff.

“I take back my compliment-”

“Too late, you already said it-”

“I was lying-”

“You  _ weren’t _ , I’d be able to tell-”

“I’ve  _ lied  _ to you before and you didn’t know-”

“ _ Yuri _ ?  _ Jisung _ ? You guys ready to take some pictures?”

They both jumped at Yuri’s mother’s call, laughing under their breaths as Jisung glanced over his shoulder.

“Ready to get this over with?” Yuri asked with a roll of her eyes; she  _ hated _ taking pictures.

“The faster we do it, the faster it’ll be over,” he replied, pulling his hands from his pockets and beckoning towards the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

Yuri nodded, following his lead.

“Coming!”

They both called to her mother together, laughing again as they shuffled hurriedly down the hallway.

* * *

“Oh my  _ gosh _ , look at  _ Bo _ !”

Yuri’s eyes were wide, almost spilling her punch as she watched Kim Boyoung pass by their table with Changbin, her boyfriend of six months.

“She looks…” Jisung trailed off for a moment, watching her walk away. “ _ Wow _ .”

She nodded in agreement, feeling just as surprised as he looked; Boyoung was a “big sweaters and baggy pants with her hair in a bun” kind of girl, but her dress was  _ completely _ different- short, tight, and strapless- showing just how  _ good _ she looked underneath all those clothes.

“Changbin’s a lucky guy,” Yuri said with a laugh.

They were sitting alone at one of the small tables in the ballroom, elbows resting on the table as they sipped on their bright red punch, people-watching and talking as quietly as they could amongst themselves.

Yuri had originally been nervous, wondering when she would inevitably see Jungkook, but after an hour into prom and still never finding him, she realized with relief that he must not be coming at all.

_ I should’ve said yes to Hyunjin _ , she thought to herself.

“Look at Jeongin,” Jisung was nodding in the opposite direction, Yuri spotting their freshman friend smiling shyly at a tall, beautiful girl she didn’t recognize. “That girl  _ graduated _ last year, she was in theater! How does he always get the older girls?”

Yuri snorted with laughter, shaking her head as she shrugged.

“I mean, he’s more mature than  _ you _ , so I’m not surprised-”

He bumped his shoulder against hers, chuckling at her joke.

“Shut up.”

She grinned, taking another sip of punch and nearly choking when she spotted another familiar face on the dance floor.

“Sungie-”

She shook his arm and he looked at her with wide eyes, Yuri trying to point as subtly as she could.

“-is that…  _ Seungmin _ ?”

They both looked to their left, watching a couple mostly hidden by the crowd dancing  _ way _ too inappropriately, their hips grinding together in a way that had Yuri giggling into the palm of her hand, turning back to Jisung.

“Holy  _ shit _ ,” he said with a laugh, eyes wide as he chuckled. “Holy  _ shit _ , Straight A Seungmin? Getting  _ laid _ ? I can’t believe it-”

“They’re not having  _ sex _ ,” Yuri laughed. “It’s just dancing-”

“Yu, no girl dances with you like  _ that  _ and doesn’t want you to take her home later-” Jisung said somewhat cockily, eyes darting to the couple before raising an eyebrow at her. “ _ Believe _ me.”

She scoffed, shaking her head and taking another drink of punch.

Neither one of them were virgins; she’d lost it to Jungkook just two months into their relationship, while Jisung had hooked up with Stacy- the lights manager in theater- in the backseat of her car after opening night of their play. He didn’t have  _ much _ more experience than her- only two other girls besides Stacy- but he was always acting like he did, which made Yuri roll her eyes.

Sometimes, she was tempted to remind him he was the little boy who almost got beaten up if it weren’t for her.

The song changed, and Yuri’s eyes widened, jumping from her chair and almost spilling her punch again.

“ _ Yah _ !” she exclaimed, Jisung looking up at her in surprise. “It’s  _ Never Ever _ ! You think everyone’s gonna do the dance?”

Got7- one of Yuri’s favorite kpop groups- had released the song  _ Never Ever _ just a few weeks ago. A simple dance to the song made by one of their fans went viral on YouTube, and everyone at her school- including she and Jisung- had quickly learned it.

“ _ Ah _ ,” Jisung jumped up as well, grinning as he pushed his chair in quickly. “Yeah, it looks like some people are already starting!”

Sure enough, several students were clustered on the dance floor, pulling their arms up and then back down, laughing together as they moved to the beat of the song.

Jisung grabbed her hand, and they ran out there together, giggling as they tried to sink in step with the music, constantly bumping into one another in the crowded space. It was suffocatingly hot on the dance floor and Yuri could feel her hairstyle loosening, the fabric of her dress sticking to her sweaty skin as she danced, hardly noticing any of it. They sang along with the words when they forgot the steps, Jisung making fun of Yugyeom- Yuri’s  _ favorite _ \- and his nasally voice, making her giggle as she smacked him on the arm.

Then the song was coming to an end, and the crowd was starting to thin, many students panting and chattering as they made their way to the refreshments table.

“ _ Shit _ ,” Yuri said with a sigh, brushing some hair off her face as she glanced over at their table. “Someone stole our spot.”

They were students she didn’t recognize- maybe seniors?- dragging chairs over and grouping together in a tight circle.

“Crap,” Jisung muttered next to her, still smiling a little. “Guess we’re stuck here for a minute.”

The song was completely different now- much  _ slower _ \- and Yuri smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck, glancing around the dance floor.

It was amazing to her, how much more relaxed she was than when she’d first arrived, and she turned back to Jisung just as he was folding his fingers together, resting them on the small of her back.

“Thanks for making me come,” she said as they rocked back and forth, moving in a slow circle. “I didn’t think it’d be this much fun.”

“You shouldn’t be home all alone on prom night,” he said with a small laugh, grinning back at her. “That’s stupid.”

“ _ Yeah _ , I know,” she agreed with a sigh, eyes darting to the side of his head. “Sungie, your  _ hair _ -”

The gel in the strands had been loosening all night, but after their dance, his hair was now sticking up on the side, making her giggle.

“ _ Don’t _ try to fix it now,” Jisung protested with a laugh, Yuri ignoring him entirely as she reached for the pieces.

“It looks ridiculous, you look like an awkward cockatoo-”

“Gee thanks-”

She was flattening it down the best she could with her fingers when something caught her eye over his shoulder.

It was Seungmin, still with his girlfriend, the two of them dancing  _ close _ again, hips pressed together-

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “They’re still grinding-”

Jisung glanced down at her face before looking over his shoulder, turning back to her with a mischievous grin.

“ _ Damn _ ,” he said with a laugh. “And during a slow song, too-”

“ _ Jisung _ ?”

Both he and Yuri turned to their left, surprised to see  _ Kyungmi _ standing right next to them, scowling deeply with her hands on her hips.

Jisung didn’t have time to answer before she was talking again, voice a little more shrill than usual.

“I thought you said you weren’t wanting a date? I thought you were just ‘ _ coming with friends _ ’?”

Yuri was just thinking how pretty Kyungmi looked- despite her angry expression- with her silky pink dress and intricate updo, but she felt her eyebrows furrow at the girl’s tone of voice.

“Yuri  _ is _ my friend-”

“ _ Really _ ?” Kyungmi motioned dramatically between the two of them before placing her hand back on her hip. “What do you call  _ this _ ?”

They looked at each other before glancing at the way they were positioned- her arms still wrapped loosely around his neck while his hands were resting on the same spot of her lower back, just inches between their bodies. And Yuri supposed it  _ did _ look odd- like it was  _ romantic _ \- but she and Jisung were close like that all the time; it didn’t mean anything.

“You  _ know _ we’re just friends-” Jisung tried again, sounding both apologetic and defensive at the same time.

“Bull _ shit _ , Jisung,  _ God _ , I am so  _ done _ !” Kyungmi threw both hands in the air, some pieces of her perfect hair falling in her face. “You’re such an  _ asshole _ ; I should’ve known better.”

Yuri felt  _ angry _ \- Jisung was  _ not _ an asshole- taking her hands from around him before she could think and rounding on Kyungmi.

“Hey, how about you chill the fuck out, yeah?” her voice was barely below a yell as she glared at the girl. “We’re  _ not _ on a date, you  _ know _ that, we’ve been best friends for as long as you’ve known him and it never bothered you before-”

“That was before I found out he takes you as his  _ date  _ to prom,” Kyungmi spat back, tensing a little at the look on Yuri’s face. “Before I realized what a piece of  _ shit _ he is-”

“ _ Yah _ !” Yuri  _ was _ yelling now, taking a step closer as her heart started pounding in her chest.

“Yuri-”

Jisung grabbed her wrist, pulling her back a little as she looked over her shoulder at him. He was glancing at Kyungmi before his eyes were boring meaningfully into hers, asking her to  _ stop _ .

“Let’s just go, alright?”

Yuri faced Kyungmi once more, the girl looking between the two of them for another moment before storming off, hair flying over her shoulder as she left. They stared after her in silence before Jisung was slowly letting go of her wrist, Yuri looking at him again.

“What a bitch.”

They both laughed at her words before Yuri’s eyebrows were furrowing, turning her head to the side.

“I thought you said she didn’t mention anything to you about going?”

“ _ Ah _ …” Jisung smiled guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. “She didn’t. But then that Monday after we talked she brought it up, said she wanted to go as a couple, but… I told her I was already going… with friends…”

Yuri’s eyes widened a little at that,  _ surprised _ .

“But…” she hesitated, letting out a light laugh. “Why didn’t you just go with  _ her _ ?”

Jisung shrugged.

“I would’ve been fine! I know you like Kyungmi-” Yuri wrinkled her nose, glancing over her shoulder. “-for  _ some _ reason-”

He laughed, shaking his head before shoving his hands in his pockets again; his nervous habit.

“I  _ don’t _ , really,” he told her honestly. “I thought I liked her, but… and besides, I’d much rather hang out with you.”

She shoved him lightly on the shoulder, feeling touched by his words; Jisung was always so good to her.

“She’s gonna hate you forever,” Yuri said with a laugh. “You know that, right?”

“ _ Yeah _ ,” Jisung sighed. “ _ I _ know.”

They both glanced in Kyungmi’s direction again before Jisung was turning back to her quickly, a bright smile on his face.

“So…” he began. “Wanna ditch and go to the diner?”

Yuri smiled automatically, thinking of their favorite after school spot; a small diner just two blocks away with some of the best food she’s  _ ever _ had.

“And get fries?” she asked excitedly. “And cheesecake?”

“ _ Always _ cheesecake,” Jisung replied, hooking his arm in hers.

“Okay,” she let him pull her for a moment, grinning playfully up at him. “But you’re paying.”

And before he could protest, she burst into laughter, letting go of his arm and racing him to the door. 


	4. Chapter 4

“ _ YAH! _ ” Jiae cried out in frustration, slamming both hands on the notebook. “I thought for  _ sure _ prom was going to change everything!”

“These things take  _ time _ , dear,” Grandma Kim said happily, folding her fingers in her lap. “They aren’t going to kiss at prom after being best friends since elementary school… they may not even kiss at  _ all _ …”

Jiae looked up at that, her Grandma’s poker face both admirable and a tad annoying as she sighed.

“Is that the end of the flashbacks?” she asked, gently turning the page and eyeing the next date. “No more memories from high school?”

The older hummed in confirmation, rocking back and forth once more as she spoke softly.

“Yes high school is pretty much over,” she replied. “Now  _ college _ … that’s when the  _ real _ story begins…”

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday, May 16, 2018_ **

Yuri stood at her locker, yawning hard as her eyes roamed along the last two textbooks she had sitting on the top shelf. 

It was one of the last days of high school, and she was so  _ ready _ to graduate. She hated getting up this early, and reminded herself that, when the time came for her to choose classes for college, she wouldn’t pick a  _ single one _ before noon.

“Yuri!”

She jumped at the sound of her name, turning in the direction of the voice in confusion.

“Yuri,  _ Yuri _ !”

It was Jisung, bolting down the hallway at full speed, weaving in and out of the throngs of students, many of them laughing or waving as he ran by. He returned the gesture quickly, hair bouncing a little with each step before he was coming to a screeching halt right in front of her, a piece of paper tight in his grip.

“Jisung!” she exclaimed in surprise, laughing a little at his enthusiasm. “What the hell?”

Only  _ he _ could do something as ridiculous as running full speed across the school hallway and people still thought he was cool, a few students still grinning at him as they passed them by.

“My mom-” he breathed, eyes shining with excitement as he held up the paper. “She got approved… for the  _ loan _ -”

Yuri took the paper from his hands, reading the letter quickly as her heartbeat quickened in her chest, smiling brightly when she finished.

“So you-” she hesitated. “You’re-”

“ _ Yeah _ ,” he said happily. “I’m going.”

Since February of that year, she and Jisung had been nervous, both wondering what lied ahead for them in their freshman year of college. They had both made it into Hanyang University- top choice for both of them- and while Yuri had been over the moon about her acceptance letter, Jisung’s own good news came with slight tension.

His father had been gone for as long as Yuri had known him- he’d died when Jisung was just a baby- and his mother worked two jobs to make ends meet. She never let Jisung work, no matter how much he begged, and they had always been poor, something Yuri barely paid any mind to; she never cared about things like that.

But when it came to college, unfortunately, the university wasn’t  _ free _ , and if his mother couldn’t afford it, Jisung was due to go to trade school instead. He told Yuri he’d gain the skills he needed to get a job that could pay for  _ real _ college, and he’d go into music production like he’d always wanted. 

Still, the thought of it depressed her- she knew deep down, trade school was never something Jisung wanted to do- and she found herself praying every night that good fortune would come to the Han family.

They deserved it.

“ _ Sungie _ ,” she all but whispered, fighting the weird urge she had to  _ cry _ as she looked at him. “I can’t believe it.”

“I know,” he was quieter too, staring at the letter as she handed it back to him. “I… I wasn’t sure…”

They were silent for a moment, letting the news sink in; Jisung was going to Hanyang University- they were going  _ together _ \- and in a few short months, they were about to start their next, big adventure.

The warning bell was loud in the hallway, startling both of them as Yuri quickly grabbed her textbook from her locker.

“Okay,” she said, tucking the book under her arm. “Finals this week, but next week? We celebrate.”

“After graduation?” he asked, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder.

“Yes, yes,” she nodded excitedly, slamming her locker closed and walking with him down the hallway. “After graduation.”

* * *

**_Saturday, May 26, 2018_ **

“-and so today, I have many words I’d like to say, but there are only two things that  _ really _ matter-”

Yuri shifted a little in her seat, jumping when she felt a hard poke on her back. She turned around, Jisung grinning wickedly at her as his friend Minho- who sat next to him- smirked in amusement. 

“ _ Stop it _ ,” she hissed under her breath, giggling quietly. 

She was adjusting the tassel that hung in her face from her graduation cap, facing forward once more, listening to Jisung’s low chuckle behind her.

He was just as bored as  _ she _ was.

“-live the life you want to live and do it with  _ pride _ ,” their principal was speaking loudly into the microphone set up on the wooden podium in front of him, beaming at all of them. “Do  _ that _ , and I know you’ll find happiness wherever your path takes you.”

All the students clapped, Yuri grinning at her friend Junhee who sat right next to her, wearing a golden graduation gown identical to her own. Then she was turning around, she and Jisung beaming at one another before the principal was speaking once more, letting them know the ceremony was about to begin.

There were many students in her graduating class, and Yuri’s leg bounced anxiously up and down as she waited for her turn to walk across the stage. When she did, she tripped a little going up the stairs, but tried to play it cool as she took slow steps towards the principal, shaking his hand and taking her diploma. She could hear her family somewhere in the crowd, cheering  _ loudly _ , cheeks burning in both embarrassment and excitement.

When it was Jisung’s turn, the screams weren’t nearly as loud- it was only his mother, and two grandparents- so she joined in as well, Junhee falling into a fit of giggles next to her as several students turned around to look at her. But when Jisung came back to his seat, he was laughing, the two of them high-fiving as he walked by before plopping back into his seat.

After almost an hour, all the names had been called, and their vice principal came to the podium, smiling gently at all of them before leaning forward, speaking into the mic.

“Congratulations Class of 2018. You’ve graduated!”

Everyone cried out before they were standing up, throwing their hats high in the air, Yuri laughing with delight. 

Then it was  _ chaos _ , students moving from their seats, dodging the hats on the floor as parents started rushing down the stairs from their places in the audience, coming to congratulate and hug their kids. Yuri was waving goodbye to Junhee, who was giggling still, cheeks pink, telling her congratulations before she felt someone grab her hand.

“So we don’t lose each other,” Jisung said with a grin when she turned to look at him.

Yuri held tight- he was always  _ much _ better at maneuvering through a crowd than she was- letting him lead the way to their parents. They made it to the edge of the auditorium, Jisung barely letting go of her hand before her mother was holding her in a bone-crushing embrace, expressing how absolutely  _ proud _ she was.

Many hugs were received, Yuri’s  _ entire _ family there- parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, family friends- all talking over one other, the air thick with excitement as Yuri tried to keep up with all the conversation. 

Her mother was hugging Jisung before looking down at him as if he was her own son, sweeping his hair off his forehead before saying just how proud she was of  _ him _ , too. Then Mrs. Han was reaching out, taking Yuri’s hand gently before pulling her into her arms, telling Yuri how well she’d grown up, so  _ pleased _ .

“Shall we go out to eat?” Yuri’s father finally suggested, his voice carrying over the rest of the family.

“Yes!” Jisung’s grandmother cried out in delight, wrapping her arm around the younger. “He’s so  _ skinny _ , let’s get some meat on these bones!”

Yuri giggled in amusement as Jisung’s cheeks turned a little pink, muttering something about being “ _ bigger than the last time Grandma visited _ ” which only made the older laugh, ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Are you guys hungry?” Mrs. Han asked with a smile.

“ _ Starving _ ,” Yuri replied honestly, some of them chuckling.

“But after this, we’re having a celebration of our own,” Jisung said, bumping his arm against Yuri’s as they grinned at one another. “That’s still okay, right mom? If she spends the night?”

“Of course-”

“You let the two of them spend the  _ night  _ together?” Yuri’s grandmother asked, eyes wide with surprise.

Yuri fought the urge to roll her eyes- how long had she been friends with Jisung now?

“It’s  _ fine _ , Mom,” Mrs. Kim said with a light laugh. “They’re just friends-”

Jisung’s grandmother snorted, her mischievous smile almost identical to the one  _ Jisung _ always had on his face.

“ _ Just friends _ ,” she repeated, tone teasing. “Why don’t you two just get married already and save us all the time and trouble?”

Jisung and Yuri exchanged a look- would these jokes ever stop coming?- before Mrs. Han was placing her hands on Grandma’s shoulders, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“ _ Alright _ , mom,” she said, glancing around at everyone. “Where do you guys wanna go eat?”

* * *

* * *

Jiae turned the page, grinning up at her Grandma Kim just as the older’s eyes were fluttering open again.

“Psh,” she said with a laugh. “Even their  _ families _ knew they were perfect for one another.”

“Yes, they certainly thought so,” Grandma agreed with a nod. “But to the two of them, they truly were  _ just friends _ … hardly a boy and a girl, really.” 

“Isn’t that how it always is?” Jiae asked affectionately, turning her attention back to the pages. “Oh. We’re back in Jisung’s point of view?”

“Yes,” her Grandma answered with a smile. “Go on.”

Jiae cleared her throat before reading out loud once more.

“ _ Family dinners were always more exhausting for Yuri than they were for me… probably because she had three times the family I did- only my grandparents and my mother had showed up- and they all wanted to talk to us at once.  _

_ We were all loud, talking over one another, the two of us the only young ones there- a curse of being only children. There were congratulatory cards given, shoulders squeezed and tears shed about how much older we were getting. Yuri and I were constantly exchanging looks, anxious for that night… for our  _ own  _ celebration.  _

_ I’d snuck a few bottles of Soju when my mom wasn’t looking, keeping them locked up for this exact occasion. My mother was lively, but she was also exhausted, up all day at my graduation and having to work the overnight shift at the restaurant. I told her she could skip graduation, that I wanted her to sleep, but she insisted she wouldn’t miss it… _

_ Either way, Yuri and I had the house to ourselves that night, which meant we could finally have our drinks- our last night before we left one another for the summer… _ ”

* * *

* * *

Jisung was sitting on the floor of his living room, stretched out beneath the coffee table as he leaned against Yuri’s legs, one hand buried in a bag of sour gummy worms.

They were watching  _ Lord of the Rings _ , Soju bottles next to each of them, Yuri absentmindedly playing with his hair. She was always doing this; Yuri told Jisung it was comforting for her- she’d been doing it since they were kids- and it also helped her focus, since she claimed he was “ _ always forcing her to watch movies all the time _ .”

Jisung normally bit back, telling her  _ she _ was the one who was constantly suggesting the movie marathons, but if he was being honest, he really didn’t care about her playing with his hair. She’d been doing it for so long now he hardly noticed, and in a way, it was comforting for  _ him _ too.

“Mordor!” she shouted, but Jisung was already reaching for his Soju.

“Drink!” he exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder at her before tipping his head back, taking a long swig of the sweet alcohol.

It was their personal drinking game- anytime someone says “Mordor” in  _ Lord of the Rings _ , they’re to take a drink, and they found it was the perfect amount of times to get them buzzed, without coming out completely wasted.

They were quiet for a moment as they sipped before Yuri’s fingers were back in his hair again, the girl sighing above him.

“Why do you have such pretty hair?” she asked in mock annoyance, and he could feel her holding some of the strands between her fingers. “I hate you.” 

“I mean…” he shrugged, grinning at his Soju bottle. “I’m already the best looking out of the two of us, so-”

Yuri scoffed before she was smacking him lightly over the head, Jisung busting out laughing as she groaned in affectionate exasperation. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” she said after a moment, Jisung turning around to look at her. “I think I want to grow my hair out this summer. Stop cutting it short like I always do.”

Jisung glanced at the nearly black strands she was inspecting, unsure if he could picture what she would  _ look like _ with long hair. For as long as he’d known her, Yuri’s hair had always been cropped to her shoulders, blunt bangs across her forehead, and stick straight. 

“That’s a good idea,” he told her honestly, watching her drop the messy strands from her fingers. “Right before college.”

Yuri grinned at that, her eyes shining with excitement as she shifted a little on the couch.

“College,” she breathed. “Can you believe we’re going?  _ Together _ ? This is going to be  _ amazing _ , Jisung. My mom always says college was the best time of her life.”

“ _ Yeah _ , my grandma says that too,” Jisung said with a laugh, rolling his Soju bottle between his fingers. “You think it’ll be that great?”

“I mean now that  _ you’re _ coming, yes,” Yuri said matter of factly. “I was a little nervous; like what would we do if we didn’t go to the same  _ school _ ?”

Jisung chuckled, but to be honest, he’d been thinking the same thing; what the hell  _ would _ they have done?

“It would’ve sucked,” he admitted, shrugging a little.

Yuri nodded in agreement, eyes floating back to the screen as she looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I can’t believe we aren’t spending the summer together.”

Jisung dug his hand into the bag of gummy worms again, popping one into his mouth as he thought about that. 

When he’d been accepted to Hanyang, he’d immediately signed up for their summer music program, his mother insisting he do whatever he could and that she would make it work moneywise. He’d been excited about joining- it was a two month program where he’d be getting together with other music majors and doing workshops to enhance his skills- but a little nervous, with his mother’s financial situation.

But once her loan had been approved and she had enough for both the program  _ and _ his tuition, she’d  _ insisted _ he go.

“ _ I want you to live your best life, Jisung _ ,” she’d said, tears in her eyes as she still grasped the letter in her hands. “ _ Don’t let anything hold you back. If I’ve gotten the money, then it’s fate for you to go. _ ”

He hadn’t argued with her after that- just hugged her for a long time- and so- that coming Monday- he’d be leaving for the program, coming back only a week before to grab his things before move-in day at the dorms.

Yuri’s Grandma on her Dad’s side was moving into a smaller elder’s community by the end of August, and had asked the girl to come visit her in Busan for the summer to help her clean out her house. Even after Yuri found out Jisung  _ wouldn’t _ be coming with her, she agreed anyway, in love with the ocean for as long as he’d known her.

All you had to say was  _ beach _ , and Yuri was there.

“I think this is the only summer we’ve not been together since we became friends,” he told her with a laugh.

“Oh my god,” Yuri replied, giggling a little. “I think you’re  _ right _ .”

Every summer since the fourth grade, Jisung and Yuri had spent their days and nights together, either filling every hour with activities or being completely unproductive.

But always together.

They would swim at the pool down the street from Yuri’s house, getting tan while their mothers begged them to stop forgetting sunscreen. They walked to the convenience store just down the road for ice creams, often gathering change from Yuri’s father’s coin jar when he wasn’t home to treat themselves, giggling at how  _ sneaky _ they were.

They sang too-  _ always _ sang- Yuri taking the lead while Jisung liked to rap, getting better and better as he got older. They’d hit every karaoke spot in town, and would sing at the top of their lungs, convinced they were meant to be performers as they snacked on greasy fried chicken.

Jisung had taken a real interest in music as the years went on- making his  _ own _ music- and that’s where his love for production was born.

“So are you going to make your own songs and stuff at this music camp?” Yuri asked, interrupting his thoughts. “Or are you just rapping?”

“Rapping, singing, producing,” he listed them off with a smile, leaning his shoulder against her legs as he lifted the Soju bottle to his lips. “Even DJing… it’s gonna be awesome.”

“Such a  _ geek _ ,” Yuri teased, looking down at him. “You signed up for so much. I’m not doing shit… Besides helping my Grandma, I guess.”

It was true; while Yuri was just as nerdy as he was- getting accepted into a pretty competitive writing and journalism program- she had ditched any summer workshops, telling Jisung she just wanted to  _ relax _ for the summer.

He took a small drink of Soju, smirking up at her.

“Well, you’re lazy and I’m smarter,” he said with a shrug. “So it makes sense-”

Yuri grabbed the pillow next to her, throwing it right at him and knocking the bag of gummy worms out of his lap. They burst out laughing, Jisung quickly grabbing the pillow and throwing it back, missing her entirely as it flew past her head and on the floor behind the couch.

They were both a little drunk- he could  _ feel _ it- still laughing way too hard at his lame joke as he picked up the bag of candy, shoving his hand inside for more.

“Well just be careful,” Yuri said, taking another sip of Soju before she was taking the gummy worms Jisung offered her. “Those college girls are gonna die over you.”

He felt his eyebrows raise in surprise at that, turning to look at her as she popped the candy into her mouth.

“What?” he asked with a light laugh.

Sure, he got a decent amount of girl attention at school ever since he joined theater, but it was a random thing for her to say…

Then again, Yuri was  _ always _ a little random.

But she didn’t answer, jumping a little in her seat as she raised her bottle in the air.

“Legolas said Mordor!” she cried out, beaming at him. “Take a drink!”

He laughed before tilting his head back for a long sip of Soju, the smooth liquid burning a little as it made its way down his throat. 

They sighed together, lowering their bottles at the same time.

“Are you nervous?” he asked, swirling the contents of his drink around, realizing it was almost gone. “About college?”

Yuri looked at him, biting her lip for a moment before answering.

“A little,” she admitted. “Being away from home, taking all these classes… this is for our  _ careers _ , you know? The rest of our lives.”

Jisung nodded, feeling the same way, the music industry was not an easy one to get into, so he knew how hard he’d have to work.

“I just want to be a novelist,” she continued, eye shining a little as she leaned back on the cushions. “Or a  _ journalist _ . But not one of the those celebrity ones that follows idols around all creepy though-”

She wrinkled her nose, making him laugh.

“-but like,  _ real _ stuff, you know?”

He’d always admired that about Yuri; she was never one for the glamorous,  _ always _ down to earth.

“Yeah…” he agreed, resting his chin on her knee. “It’s gonna be a lot. I’m pretty sure every single person I’m going to school with wants to produce music and be a rapper, just like me. A lot of competition…”

They were quiet for a moment before Yuri was looking at him, her face serious.

“If anyone can make their dream come true, it’s you, Sungie,” she said, smiling a little. “You’re  _ really _ good, better than half the dudes on the radio. So don’t be worried… okay?”

They always got a little mushy when they were drunk; a little dreamy too, when they weren’t laughing hysterically at stupid stuff.

“You too,” he told her, grinning as he tilted his bottle in her direction. “I don’t even  _ read _ and I read your stuff… it’s really good, Yuri.”

“And  _ this _ is why I’m glad you’re coming,” she said with a laugh. “I need you around to boost my ego.”

He snorted into his drink, the sound echoing in the glass and making them giggle again.

“It’s too bad the dorms aren’t co-ed, right?” she asked thoughtfully. “This would be  _ perfect _ . We could do what we’re doing right now, every night after class, or have like, homework parties!”

Jisung laughed with her, imagining  _ co-ed _ dorms at the university. Girls and guys sharing rooms together…

“I don’t think you’d want me as your roommate,” he said with a smirk. “If the rooms were co-ed and I can bring  _ girls _ home.”

She smacked him over the head with another pillow, and he spilled some of his Soju on his shirt, laughing at his own joke.

“You know what? You’re right,” Yuri said, stuffing the pillow in her lap and flattening it with her elbows. “If I’m going co-ed, I would like a  _ much _ hotter guy, thank you very much.”

“ _ Yah _ !” Jisung laughed as she dodged the gummy worm he launched her way.

“I want something out of a k-drama!” Yuri said dramatically, holding tight to her bottle as she spoke with dreamy eyes. “A hot,  _ gorgeous _ guy assigned to my room… We’re enemies at first, because he didn’t want a girl for a roommate, but then something  _ crazy _ happens and we have to work together… and we become, passionate, hot and heavy  _ lovers _ -”

Jisung burst out laughing as Yuri plucked the gummy worm from the couch, popping it into her mouth.

“Yeah me too,” he joined in, thinking how great  _ that _ would be. “A hot chick sharing my room every night? Yes please.”

It was all talk of course- Jisung wasn’t  _ that _ much of a player- but he and Yuri still laughed anyway.

“I really  _ do _ want another boyfriend,” she said with a sigh, taking a small drink before continuing. “I think it’s time I put myself back out there.”

Jisung turned a little more completely, resting his forearms on her knees as he looked up at her.

“Really?” he asked.

Ever since Jungkook, other than drooling over whatever hot guy came on TV or the cute guy in her Advanced Composition class, Yuri had been keeping her distance from guys. She was still a little hesitant about getting in a relationship, and Jisung was wondering when she’d finally open up again; Jungkook wasn’t worth pining over, in  _ his  _ opinion.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time I get over this whole  _ Jungkook _ fiasco,” she said, a bitterness to her tone as she said his name. “Just… move on.”

Jisung nodded in agreement, taking a small sip from his bottle.

“I want a girlfriend too,” he said after a moment. “Plus, you know, college chicks are  _ much _ hotter.”

Yuri was rolling her eyes as he laughed again, but there was still a grin pulling on the corners of her lips.

“I totally agree.”

“That college chicks are hotter?” Jisung asked in mock surprise.

“No, you  _ idiot _ , college  _ guys _ ,” she answered with a giggle. “They’re taller, older, actually have  _ muscle tone _ … you know I’m a sucker for some nice arms.”

Jisung chuckled- Yuri was  _ always _ talking about arms- glancing at his own biceps and wondering if they would change by the time he started school. They had slight definition, but overall, Jisung was still pretty skinny.

He’d always been that way.

“Let’s make a toast!”

Yuri was raising her drink up, Jisung hurriedly following her lead, laughing as he lost his balance a little so he could sit up straighter on his knees.

“To college!” he shouted.

They clinked their bottles clumsily together before Yuri was repeating his words.

“To  _ college _ !”

* * *

* * *

“Okay so wait-”

Jiae looked up, grinning curiously as she turned her head to the side.

“-are they talking about  _ each other _ ?”

Grandma Kim still had her lips pressed together, smiling but not answering.

“Oh my gosh, that is  _ so _ cliche,” Jiae said with a laugh, glancing back down at the notebook. “ _ And _ they got into the same college; Grandma I know this is fiction, but…”

She was teasing of course, and her Grandma laughed out loud, adjusting in her rocking chair.

“It might be cliche,” she replied smoothly. “But it  _ does _ happen.” 

Jiae sighed; despite the convenience, she still loved it. 

How cute; like  _ destiny _ .

“So, do you wanna know what happens next?” Grandma teased, nodding towards the notebook. “Or is it too  _ cliche _ for you now?”

Jiae giggled, turning the page and exhaling in faux exasperation.

“Well,” she said dramatically. “I  _ guess _ I’ll suffer through.”


	5. Chapter 5

Jiae folded over the delicate pages of the notebook, taking a deep breath before reading out loud, noting the difference in hand-writing once more.

They were back in Yuri’s point of view.

“ _ The summer days before college were a blur, going by too slow and yet coming to an end too fast. I spent a lot of time with my Grandma, and found she had way too much stuff, even bringing home a box of her most precious items she’d handed down to me.  _

_ I spent my free time on the beach; sometimes with her, sometimes alone, walking along the shore, my toes in the sand. All the heavy lifting and walking everywhere I went, I’d lost some of my baby fat, my face thinning out and adding some curves to my skinny frame. I let my hair grow out, just like I told Jisung, and my Grandma had insisted I try makeup in my day to day life, where I found wearing mascara wasn’t all that bad.  _

_ But those last few days in Busan, I was itching to go back home. To Seoul, to college, where my next adventure awaited, and  _ Jisung  _ was. I’d missed him dearly, never having gone this long without him.  _

_ We made plans to meet up at the subway station on move-in day for the dorms, eager to catch up and tell the other what they had missed… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Thursday, August 23, 2018_ **

Yuri was bouncing on the balls of her feet, leaned against the railing of the subway, as her eyes stayed glued to the window in front of her. She was on her way to the station, backpack heavy on her shoulders, gripping tightly to the handles of her two rolling suitcases.

It was  _ finally _ move-in day.

There was a rumble and then a screech as the subway came to a stuttering halt, stationary for only a moment before the doors were sliding open with a hiss.

Jisung was there in the front, spotting her right away as he waved enthusiastically.

“Yuri!” he called out.

“Jisung!”

She ran as quickly as she could with the suitcases rolling behind her, backpack bouncing almost painfully on her shoulders before she was throwing her arms around him, hugging tightly.

“Hey Yu!” he laughed, his arms coming around her as well.

“Sungie, what the  _ hell _ ,” she muttered, eyes squeezed shut as she took in the familiar scent of him; he always smelled like fresh cut grass to her. “Can we  _ never  _ be apart for this long again?”

She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed him until he was there, and he laughed, squeezing her right back.

“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding quickly. “Never again.”

A moment passed before Yuri noticed that something was slightly…  _ different _ .

She pulled back, looking at his face more properly, realizing it was a just little  _ higher _ than she was used to.

“Jisung,” she looked him up and down, taking another step back so her hands were on his shoulders. “Did you get  _ taller _ ?”

He laughed, shaking some hair out of his face, which looked a little lighter against his darker skin tone.

“And  _ tanner _ ?” she asked incredulously, eyes roaming along his figure. “And do you have…  _ arms _ now?”

Jisung was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and his upper arms were much more defined now,  _ bigger _ too, and it  _ shocked _ her.

“Don’t act so surprised,” he said with a laugh, looking her up and down with a playful smile. “What about you, huh? You look different, too!”

Yuri supposed she probably did; along with the mascara, weight loss and long hair, she  _ too _ had gotten a little tan.

“Don’t act so surprised.”

She threw his words back at him with a teasing grin before letting go of his shoulders, leaning down to pick up her fallen luggage.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Jisung took one of the suitcases from her hands before they were walking side by side. “Wanna get some food before we get to your dorm?”

“ _ Yes _ , I’m starving…”

She threw her arm over his shoulders, beaming at him.

“I guess you didn’t get  _ that _ much taller,” she said. “I can still do this-”

“Not if I stand on my tiptoes-”

He did just that, tripping as he tried to walk at the same time.

“Well if I stand on  _ my _ tippy toes-”

She almost fell, both of them toppling over with her weight

“ _ Yuri _ -”

They were still laughing as they exited the station, and she felt so  _ content _ , her arm still wrapped around his shoulders.

She’d definitely missed her best friend.

* * *

“Okay but seriously,  _ how  _ did this happen?”

Yuri was following Jisung into the guy’s dorm, Building B, motioning towards his arms again as they walked through the common area. They’d eaten their ramen at the convenience store while they took turns playing catch up- Jisung telling her everything he’d learned during the music program, and her telling him everything she’d found at her grandma’s house along with the hot lifeguard that worked the beach on Thursday nights.

“What?” Jisung asked, playing dumb as they made their way to the staircase.

“Your like-” Yuri paused, flapping her hand at his arms again as she cringed. “ _ Muscles _ .”

It was so  _ odd _ \- Jisung with muscles.

“Did you go to the gym or something?” she continued, their footsteps echoing loudly as they stomped up the stairs. “I thought this was music camp-”

“It  _ is _ ,” Jisung laughed. “But Chan, he and I started hitting the gym, you know… after class was over for the day.”

_ Chan _ ; he sounded like a super nice guy. She’d heard about him briefly throughout Jisung’s stories, when she’d found out the two guys had bonded, roommates for the school year. 

“Hopefully you can meet him,” he added as an afterthought when they reached the top step, turning left with Yuri right on his tail. 

They’d already stopped at her dorm to drop off all her luggage, and she’d been a little bummed when Yuri realized her roommate- she’d learned her name was  _ Jaeun _ \- wasn’t there yet; she’d kind of been anxious to meet her. 

Jisung stopped abruptly, Yuri almost running into his back before he was quickly typing in his passcode, pushing the door open with a flourish.

“Home sweet home!” he announced, holding out his arms and doing a small spin.

The dorm was a mess, but not as messy as it probably  _ would’ve _ been, if Jisung was living there alone. There were two beds across from one another with dark disheveled sheets and a small set of plastic drawers in between, stuffed  _ full _ of things Yuri couldn’t make out. There were two desks at each end of the bed that were also piled with items like textbooks, random notebook papers, and tons and  _ tons  _ of wires from all their recording equipment.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed was a puppy-faced guy, jumping from the mattress at their arrival and smiling brightly.

“Hi,” he had a slight accent, and Yuri was grinning back at him;  _ cute _ . “Bang Chan. Nice to meet you.”

“I was hoping you’d be here!” Jisung exclaimed, both of them laughing for a minute. “This is Yuri!”

He threw his arm around her shoulders, and she stumbled a little under his weight as she grinned at the blonde.

“Hi,” she bowed a little in greeting.

“So  _ you’re _ Yuri,” Chan’s smile was mischievous, but his slight accent was adorable. “Jisung never shuts up about you-”

“Well, Chan doesn’t shut up in general-” Jisung retorted, taking his arm from around her.

“You  _ definitely _ talk more than me-”

“I doubt it-”

“ _ Ahem _ .”

They all three turned around, a very tall, owl-eyed man peeking his head in the open doorway, raising his eyebrows at them. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” he looked slightly amused, eyes roaming from Jisung, to Chan, before stopping on Yuri. “But  _ you _ can’t be here.”

Yuri was slightly taken aback, looking at the guys before facing the tall man.

“Why not?”

He raised an eyebrow at her, and Yuri’s eyes traveled downward, noting the badge hanging from the lanyard around his neck.

**Chanyeol**

**Residential Advisor**

“Sorry,” Jisung grabbed her hand, a charming grin on his face as he bowed low. “We were just leaving. She was helping me carry a few things in-”

Before the RA or Yuri could say anything else, Jisung was yanking her around Chanyeol and towards the door.

“Bye Chan! I’ll catch up with you later!” he called.

Then they were zooming out of the room, Yuri tripping over her own feet trying to keep up. 

“What the hell?” she asked a little too loudly, glancing over her shoulder just before they were rounding the corner for the staircase. “Why can’t I be here right now?”

“Yuri, I don’t know if you noticed, but this is the  _ guy’s _ dorm,” Jisung said, laughing a little as he led the way. “You’re a girl-”

“I  _ know _ that,” she replied somewhat indignantly. “But I didn’t think I wouldn’t  _ ever _ be allowed in here. I thought it was just at night!”

“What?” Jisung laughed out loud at that, letting go of her hand when they hit the bottom step, moving quickly to the double doors. “No. It’s all the time. What, you think people are just hooking up at night?”

“I’m not here to have  _ sex _ ,” Yuri was still a little too audible, a few guys walking in looking at her sideways.

Jisung snorted under his breath, leading the way outside again.

“I’m just saying,” she muttered, feeling a little embarrassed as she looked over her shoulder at the other guys.

“Well, Chanyeol doesn’t know that,” he pointed out, shoving his hands in his pockets as they started walking down the sidewalks. “Let’s just head back to your place, see if your roommate’s there yet.”

“This is such a bummer,” Yuri scowled a little. “So we’re  _ never _ gonna get to visit each other? How come it didn’t matter when you came to  _ my _ dorm?”

It was true; Jisung had helped carry her stuff inside, and had walked in without a problem, her housemates barely blinking an eye when they saw him.

“That’s ‘cause you’ve got  _ Minha _ as your RA,” Jisung replied. “She’s the chillest girl ever.”

“You already know her?” she asked, eyes widening in surprise.

“No, Chan just knows  _ everybody _ ,” he said with a laugh, flicking some hair out of his face. “He’s a couple years older, and like,  _ everybody  _ loves him here.”

Yuri giggled, picturing Jisung’s roommate and she could see it; he was a cutie.

“I just hope we’ll still be able to hang out,” Yuri said, chewing a little on her bottom lip.

Sometimes she forgot she and Jisung were a boy and a girl.

“We’ll figure it out,” Jisung seemed much more nonchalant than she was about it. “Plus, I’m  _ pretty  _ sneaky.”

He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes, unable to argue; Jisung  _ was _ the stealthier out of the two of them.

She spotted her building up ahead, glad that, at the very least, their dorms weren’t too far away from each other; if she  _ did _ have to make a quick getaway, at least she wasn’t running a long distance.

They made their way up the stairs and through the double doors, the inside almost identical to Jisung’s building. The stairs were newer though- the railing was  _ much _ shinier- and the hallway smelled like soap- not smelly  _ socks _ \- as they made their way to her door. 

Yuri typed in the code, and pushed the door open somewhat hesitantly, wondering if Jaeun would be here this time. 

The room was still empty, as Jisung followed her quickly inside, but Yuri raised her eyebrows at the four large makeup cases spread across the bed opposite her own.

“Great,” she sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. “A girly-girl.”

She’d never gotten along too great with those.

“You’ll be fine,” Jisung chuckled, eyeing the cases as well, before glancing around the rest of the dorm. “I’m sure she’s nice.”

They said their goodbyes, Jisung telling her he’d text her in a few, and they could all get coffee at the campus cafe, which he  _ insisted _ was delicious. 

She was excited, throwing her suitcases on her bed and beginning to unpack when she heard the beeps of the passcode being typed in, the door slowly opening.

Jaeun walked in somewhat tentatively, her eyes widening automatically when she saw Yuri at the bed.

“Oh,” she said, in surprise. “ _ Hi _ .”

Yuri’s first impression was that- in a way- Jaeun reminded her a lot of Kyungmi, but the aura was so much  _ kinder _ . Her face was beautiful and round, just like a doll’s, with shiny straight hair, body small in every way, even shorter than Yuri herself. She seemed dainty, but not necessarily weak, walking quickly to her bed with a heavy-looking box in her arms.

“Hi,” Yuri replied, smiling at the girl. “I’m Yuri.”

“Jaeun,” her roommate turned around after dropping the box clumsily onto the mattress, her dimpled smile quite adorable. “Good to finally meet you.”

They giggled lightly at that when something caught Yuri’s eye, sticking out of Jaeun’s box.

“Is that…” she hesitated, eyes darting back to her face. “Harry Potter?”

“What-?”

She quickly turned around, grabbing the paperback set out of the box.

“Yeah!” she exclaimed, smiling a little brighter as she looked back at Yuri. “Are you a fan?”

“I am  _ definitely _ a fan,” Yuri answered with a giggle. “Okay I have to ask… who’s your  _ ultimate  _ ship?”

They spent the next half an hour talking, laughing, and lightly debating, putting all of their things away as they worked around one another. 

Yuri found out Jaeun was a Harry/Hermione shipper like her, and they both thought the steamiest couple  _ by far  _ were Ginny and Draco. She also found out Jaeun was nerdy for a  _ lot _ of things- not just Harry Potter- and Yuri felt a little bad, making a snap judgement about the girl after seeing all her makeup on the bed.

Her phone buzzed in her back pocket just as she was unloading the second suitcase, and she quickly pulled it out, reading the text from Jisung.

**Sungie (3:30pm):**

_ Meet back at the dorm and we can get some coffee. _

It buzzed again before she had time to type back.

**Sungie (3:31pm):**

_ I think Chanyeol left to get food, but try to keep a low profile _

She glanced over at Jaeun, who was hanging up some string lights, before answering him

**Yuri (3:32pm):**

_ Okay, I’m bringing my new roommate _

“Hey…”

Jaeun turned around, eyebrows raised in slight curiosity.

“Would you… wanna go with me to the guy’s dorm next door? My best friend- Jisung- he wants to go get coffee and he’s bringing his roommate.”

She stuffed her phone back in her pocket.

“He’s kinda cute, actually.”

Jaeun giggled at that, already lowering her arms from the lights and nodding.

“Sure!”

She hopped down from the bed, brushing her hair out of her face as Yuri shoved the rest of her things in her suitcase, deciding she would deal with it later.

They grabbed their purses, walking together out the door as they fell into more easy conversation. Turns out, they both loved books, loved stories, and Jaeun was majoring in publishing. They made a joke that, together, they made the perfect team.

It was nice for once, having a  _ girlfriend _ to talk to, and Yuri was feeling pretty happy as they made their way back into Jisung’s building, taking caution as she looked around, making sure no one was paying them any attention.

The common area was empty, and so was the staircase, but Yuri was still getting a little nervous as she led the way down the hallway, counting the doors to Jisung’s room.

_ It was four doors down, right? _

Jaeun was right behind her, glancing over her shoulder before they were exchanging uneasy smiles. Yuri was feeling a little paranoid, hurriedly knocking on the door and bouncing on her feet.

That Chanyeol guy made her kind of nervous.

There wasn’t an answer right away, and Yuri felt impatient, knocking harder and a little quicker, leaning closer to talk through the door.

“Sungie,  _ open up _ ,” she hissed, voice loud enough so she could hear him. “Before that RA comes back!”

Jaeun was giggling next to her when the door was being opened  _ far  _ too slowly, Yuri’s heart jumping into her throat when she realized her mistake.

The guy in the doorway was  _ not _ Jisung; he was  _ stunning _ , with dark brown hair, a handsome, almost brooding kind of face, and tall,  _ really _ tall, with the most perfect body Yuri had ever seen, even in  _ clothes _ -

“Uh s-sorry,” she stuttered, her voice a little more high-pitched than usual as she took another half-step backwards. “I thought you were-”

He smiled a little- one-sided and  _ handsome _ \- and he was glancing at Jaeun for a moment before he was looking back at Yuri.

“I’m looking for Jisung,” she started over, trying to pull herself together; she was acting like she’d never seen a hot guy before. “And Chan?”

The man’s eyebrows raised in recognition at Chan’s name, and Yuri almost laughed; Jisung’s roommate really  _ did _ know everybody.

“They’re next door,” he jerked his thumb to the right, his voice much quieter than hers as he pushed himself off the door frame.

“Oh okay,” Yuri nodded one too many times. “Thank you!”

“Yeah, thank you so much!” Jaeun spoke for the first time, giving the guy a wave as they both hurried away.

“Oh my gosh,” Yuri spoke the second Mr. Sexy’s door was shut, her eyes wide as saucers as she turned to Jaeun. “Did you  _ see _ him?”

Her roommate giggled, cheeks a little pink as she nodded excitedly.

“He was really cute,” she was much better at keeping her voice quiet as Yuri stopped at the  _ correct _ dorm this time, heart still pounding a little quicker in her chest.

She knocked hurriedly on the door before turning back to Jaeun.

“He was  _ gorgeous _ ,” she agreed, glancing in the direction of his door again. “He looked like one of those models that stand outside malls so you’ll buy the clothes in there-”

_ This  _ dorm door was opened  _ much _ more quickly, making both Yuri and Jaeun jump.

“Who looks like a model?” Jisung asked quite loudly. “Me?”

“You can  _ hear _ me in there?” Yuri asked, heart skipping a beat as she glanced back down the hall.

“Yeah, of course, you’re loud as-”

She shoved him inside, Jisung laughing as he stumbled backwards, Jaeun hurrying in behind her.

“What the hell?” he asked, and Yuri saw Chan getting up out of the corner of her eye. “What’s going on?”

Jaeun closed the door gingerly behind her just as Yuri was taking a deep breath. She realized she’d made  _ quite _ the scene- all eyes were on her- and she laughed somewhat nervously, scratching the back of her head.

“Uh, sorry-” Jaeun giggled next to her, Yuri grinning guiltily at Jisung and Chan. “- _ minor _ speed bump there. Anyway! You guys ready to go get coffee?”

She was feeling embarrassed, and wasn’t sure she should gush about this guy next door in front of Chan- especially if the walls were thin.

What if he’d be able to hear her? It’s bad enough he might’ve heard her in the hallway...

“Oh!” she felt rude, motioning quickly towards Jaeun. “And this is my roommate;  _ Jaeun _ .”

The girl turned in Jisung’s direction first just as Yuri was throwing an arm around him.

“Jauen, this is Jisung, he’s the best friend I was telling you about-”

She reached up to mess up his hair, and he swatted her away, laughing loudly.

“-and this is Chan!”

They turned to one another at the same moment, and Yuri felt her eyes widen in slight surprise as the two just  _ stared _ , looking like deer caught in headlights.

“Uh… hi,” Chan walked a little closer, cheeks the faintest of pinks as he held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jaeun.”

She smiled, giggling a little as she reached out slowly to shake his hand.

“Are you…” she hesitated, glancing at their hands. “...not from here?”

“Oh, right-”

Chan chuckled nervously, taking his hand quickly from hers.

“- _ Australian _ , sorry.”

Yuri slowly took her arm from Jisung, and they exchanged identical, raised-eyebrow looks before turning back to the pair.

They could both feel the tension- but good tension, the kind that tells you when two people like each other right away- and it was hard for Yuri to keep from smiling, pressing her lips together.

“ _ So _ …” Jisung broke the temporary silence, dragging out the  _ o _ sound. “You guys ready to go?”

Yuri elbowed him in the ribs- could he be any more  _ tactless _ ?- but neither seemed to notice, tearing their eyes from one another as they looked back at them, like they’d forgotten she and Jisung were there.

“ _ Right _ , yeah,” Chan laughed again, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m  _ starving _ , actually.”

Then he was turning to Jaeun, who’s cheeks were almost bright red, Yuri covering her mouth with her hand at the sight of it; her roommate was adorable.

“You’re coming right?”

Jaeun laughed, nodding a little as Chan smiled.

“Of course.”

And with that, Jisung led the way, keeping a close lookout to make sure Yuri- or Jaeun- weren’t caught by Chanyeol again.

* * *

* * *

“ _ Please _ tell me Chan and Jaeun end up together forever?” Jiae asked.

“Ah, you don’t want me to spoil it, do you?” Grandma Kim replied, smiling wickedly at her.

“I  _ do _ …” she sighed, staring back down at the notebook. “ _ But _ I don’t. Okay, okay, let me keep reading.”

Her grandmother just smiled, letting her eyes slip closed again.

“ _ A couple weeks passed as Jisung and I grew closer with Chan and Jaeun. We spent a lot of days in the cafe or exploring campus, even walking around the shopping district just a block from our dorms. _

_ When class started, I was feeling pretty confident until I stepped into my art class, getting a surprise I was not prepared for-” _

Jiae opened her mouth to keep reading only to be interrupted by a sharp knocking on the door, both she and her Grandma looking up at the sound.

“Come in!” the older said, the nurse already twisting the knob and slowly walking inside.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” she bowed apologetically, holding tight to a red plastic tray. “But I wondered if you wanted your afternoon snack?”

Jiae’s eyes wandered to the tray-  _ jello _ \- while her grandmother thanked the nurse, plucking a plastic cup from the tray before the young woman was moving to Jiae.

“Do you want one, dear?” she asked kindly.

Jiae said yes to be polite, thanking the woman as well as she took a jello and plastic spoon, setting them carefully on the table next to her.

“I know, I know,” Grandma Kim said as soon as the nurse left. “My afternoon snack is  _ jello _ . I’m such an old lady.”

Jiae giggled a little at that, prying the plastic lid off her own jello before picking up her spoon.

“I don’t mind it,” she said, already taking her first bite. “They had my favorite flavor.”

Her grandmother laughed, shaking her plastic cup a little as she held it for Jiae to see.

“Great minds think alike.”

Jiae giggled in surprise when she realized she and her grandmother had the same flavor;  _ orange _ .

No one  _ ever _ liked orange flavor really; her friends would tease her about it at lunch sometimes.

Grandma Kim was still smiling as she slowly peeled her jello open, sitting back in her rocking chair and motioning towards the notebook.

“Keep reading,” she said, eyes shining with excitement. “We’re starting to get to the good parts.”

Jiae nodded, taking one more bite of her jello before placing it to the side.

“ _ When class started, I was feeling pretty confident until I stepped into my art class, getting a surprise I was not prepared for... _ ” she repeated, finding where she’d left off. 

“ _ The boy living next door to Jisung. _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Tuesday, September 4, 2018_ **

Yuri was running hurriedly up the stairs of the art building, taking two at a time as she almost tripped at the top step, frantically checking her phone.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered, ignoring the protests of her leg muscles as she picked up speed, bolting down the hallway. “I’m gonna be  _ late _ …”

It was the first day of  _ Art History 101 _ , and she’d misread the map, walking to the opposite side of the building and not realizing it until she’d stepped into a classroom filled with pottery wheels. She’d quickly found the right directions, just minutes to spare, and she was gasping for breath as she slid to a halt in front of the  _ correct _ classroom, hoping the professor wasn’t already inside.

Inhaling and exhaling slowly so she didn’t walk in panting like a dog, Yuri slowly opened the door, sighing in relief when she spotted the professor’s desk still empty.

She glanced around the room, shoulders tensing when she realized most of the seats were taken already, many of the students  _ friends  _ it seemed, talking amongst themselves, only glancing at her for half a second.

But she relaxed when she saw an empty desk near the back, adjusting the bag on her shoulder and walking towards the row. 

Making her way through the seats, Yuri almost tripped when she got a better look at who was sitting right in front of the empty desk.

_ Oh my god _ , she felt her eyes widen a little, forcing herself to keep walking so she wouldn’t look like a weirdo.  _ It’s Jisung’s neighbor. _

He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, sitting sideways in his seat, crouched over the desk’s surface as he sketched quietly, delicate fingers holding tightly to the pencil in his hand.

When she was just inches from his desk, he looked up, eyes darting along the features of Yuri’s face for only a moment before he was smiling, the expression just as amused and nonchalant as last time.

“Hi,” she said, voice an octave too high again as she moved the rest of the way to the empty desk.

“Hey.”

It was all he said, nodding at her as she plopped somewhat awkwardly in her chair, immediately busying herself with her backpack.

_ Why did you say hi? He doesn’t know you! _

But it felt weird  _ not _ to, when he smiled at her in obvious recognition. 

Yuri pulled a notebook and pencil from her bag before stuffing it under her chair, concentrating on the task and not looking at the side of his beautiful face. It proved to be difficult- the guy’s features really  _ were _ gorgeous- but she kept her eyes on the paper in front of her, taking a long time to write her name and date at the top, adding small loops to the letters like calligraphy.

Then the classroom door was opening again, and their professor was walking in, greeting all of them with a curt nod before making his way to the desk, rifling through some of his papers.

Yuri watched as Mr. Sexy uncrossed one leg from the other, folding his sketchbook back up before facing forward, and she exhaled quietly in relief.

But it was  _ hardly  _ less of a distraction, sitting behind someone with such broad shoulders and lovely skin, even from the back. 

Their professor was very passionate about art history, and while ordinarily that would make the class interesting, he had such a monotone,  _ droning _ sort of voice that it reminded Yuri of the talk radio stations her dad used to listen to on early morning car rides.

It made it hard for her to concentrate, and difficult to distract herself from the still-nameless guy in front of her, who had an annoying habit of running his hands through his hair and leaning back a little in his chair, bringing him that much closer to  _ her _ . 

Yuri realized she could  _ smell _ him actually- his cologne was rather nice- and cursed herself for being so  _ creepy _ .

Still, she willed herself to pay attention the best she could, sitting back in her seat a little as she began taking notes, swallowing hard.

She had a feeling it was going to be a  _ very _ long semester.


	6. Chapter 6

“Wait a minute…”

Jiae looked up, Grandma Kim just finishing the last of her jello as she raised her eyebrows in question.

“I… this art guy story is kind of  _ cute _ ,” she said, feeling torn. “He seems like he likes her… I mean, why else would he smile like that? Does he think she’s pretty?”

Grandma’s poker face wasn’t quite as good as it normally was as she smiled, taking her time placing her plastic spoon on the table next to her.

“He did,” she answered, surprising Jiae; Grandma wasn’t really  _ answering _ her questions until now. “Yuri was too young to see, but she gave him quite a bit of amusement, and I think he probably found her endearing, even when he saw her for the first time at the dorm.”

“That’s…” Jiae stared back at the notebook. “That’s so  _ adorable _ . I didn’t know there would be another guy…”

“Did you think Yuri and Jisung wouldn’t meet anyone else?” the older asked inquisitively.

“Well, I mean-  _ no _ , I just…”

Jiae wasn’t sure  _ what _ she’d expected.

She supposed she thought she was reading the eventual love story of Jisung and Yuri, and never imagined they would have others, let alone others she  _ liked _ .

“I’ll just keep reading…” she muttered, Grandma Kim chuckling as she sat back in her rocking chair.

“Don’t be too heartbroken dear,” she said with a smile. “There’s still a long way to go.”

Jiae smiled back before turning the page, recognizing Jisung’s hand-writing once again before reading out loud.

“ _ My first day of classes was a little nerve-wracking, but also  _ exciting _ , a lot of my friends I’d already met in the music program in the same lessons I was taking. I’d gotten used to the campus by then, even memorizing some of the shortcuts Chan had showed me, which helped a lot when I ran a little late. _

_ Nothing too exciting had  _ really _ happened though, until my second day, my first time in my Biology class, when I met the first girl in a while that had me stuttering like I was in middle school all over again- _

_ Nari _ .”

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday September 5, 2018_ **

“How do you think I should do this?”

Jisung was walking with Chan to the science building, his roommate holding his backpack on one shoulder as he turned to look at him.

“I mean, you’re sure she doesn’t just like you already?” Jisung asked, feeling like it seemed pretty obvious to  _ him _ .

“ _ Ah _ , I can’t tell,” he sighed, facing forward with a grin. “Jaeun’s kind of  _ demure _ , you know? I mean normally, I’d just ask a girl out, and I don’t mind doing that, but I’m just wondering  _ how _ …”

The man looked deep in thought, and Jisung wasn’t one hundred percent sure why Chan was even asking him; he was positive the older was probably better with girls than  _ he _ was.

“Why don’t we all hang out at the cafe like we’ve been doing for the last like, two weeks?” Jisung suggested.

“What, like a double date or something?” Chan asked, smirking when Jisung immediately wrinkled his nose.

“Uh, no” Jisung unscrewed the cap on his water bottle, scowling a little. “Yuri is  _ not _ my date.”

He took a drink just as the older was nodding, looking straight ahead again.

“Right, right,” Chan trailed off for a moment before turning quickly to look at him again. “So you’ve like, never hooked up with her or  _ anything _ ?”

Jisung choked on his water, immediately coughing as he pulled the bottle from his lips, eyes tearing up a little.

“What?” he gasped, Chan laughing as he smacked him a couple times on the back to help him out.

“Hey, I’m just sayin’,” he said casually, Jisung still coughing a bit as he watched the older shrug his shoulders. “Yuri’s kinda hot… you’re telling me you never thought about it?”

Jisung could finally breathe normally again, staring at Chan for a moment in disbelief before taking the notebook in his other hand and whacking him over the head with it.

“No, you  _ idiot _ !” he exclaimed, Chan laughing again as he covered his head with his hands. “Yuri, she’s like… I don’t know, dude, she’s my best friend…”

He wasn’t sure what other explanation was needed; they just  _ weren’t _ like that, and never had been.

Chan was shrugging again, stuffing his hands back in his pockets and grinning as Jisung led the way inside the science building.

“Hey, I’m just askin’, didn’t mean to hit a nerve,” he said, walking side by side with Jisung down the hallway. “But I got it,  _ no _ Yuri-”

Jisung chuckled a little, tucking his notebook back under his arm before finishing off the rest of his water bottle, chucking it in a trashcan as they passed by.

“So you think I should just ask Jaeun to hang while we’re at the cafe?” Chan asked, continuing where they left off. “She seems kind of private though, doesn’t she? I was thinking I’d probably ask her when we’re alone…”

Jisung raised his eyebrows in slight amusement; if Chan had it all planned out, why was he even asking for help? 

“I mean, Yuri and I can just  _ leave _ ,” he said, as they stopped at the end of the hall; Jisung’s class was just up ahead. “We’ll make up some excuse and then you can make your move.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking…”

He tried not to laugh at the older- he  _ really _ liked Jaeun, didn’t he?- folding his fingers beneath the strap of his bag as he nodded.

“Alright, well, thanks a lot man.”

Chan was slapping him on the back again, glancing over his shoulder before giving him a small grin.

“I’ll see you at the cafe. Five?”

“Sounds good.”

They parted ways, Jisung readjusting the notebook beneath his arm before walking towards his Biology class, pushing the door open quickly and glancing around the room. He found an empty, two-person table near the back, making his way over and falling into the chair on the right.

He unloaded his things- textbook, notebook under his arm, a pencil, and a highlighter, just in case- before he was sighing quietly, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall.

Still five minutes to spare, how unusual for him; he was almost  _ always _ late.

He thought of his conversation with Chan, cringing a little at the memory of his words.

_ “Hey I’m just sayin’, Yuri’s kinda hot… you’re telling me you never thought about it?” _

Jisung was wrinkling his nose again automatically; Yuri was  _ not _ hot.

Okay, she wasn’t  _ ugly _ , she was actually pretty cute, if he was looking at her like that. And sure, she had a pretty smile; it took up her whole  _ face  _ sometimes, so bad he could hardly see her eyes. Some of his theater friends had even asked if Yuri was single, while she was with Jungkook, so Jisung supposed she  _ was _ attractive-

The classroom door opened again, and Jisung looked up, feeling an immediate twist in his stomach when he saw the girl walking in. 

She was absolutely  _ beautiful _ . 

The kind of girl that could cause car accidents if she walked down a busy street. Every guy in the class it seemed- including Jisung- was looking at her; some subtle, some not. But she didn’t seem to notice, playing with the strap of her oversized purse as she scanned the room, his stomach flipping again as she stopped, locking gazes with  _ him _ .

Her eyes darted along the features of his face before she was looking at all his things set up on the table. She paused for a brief moment, and then she was walking right towards him, pulling out the chair on his left.

Jisung casually glanced over at her again, almost wishing he hadn’t; she was wearing a mini skirt- his  _ weakness _ \- and a tight shirt that left very little to his overactive imagination. Her face was pretty-  _ flawless _ , really- and she had long glossy hair that shined under the fluorescent lighting as she settled in her seat. 

“You look prepared.”

Even her  _ voice _ was sexy, giving him a small smile before her brown eyes were darting to his things on the table again.

“Oh- y-yeah,” Jisung cringed internally- did he just  _ stutter _ ?- fiddling with his pencil. “-I didn’t know what all I’d need.”

He was generally a pretty good student- albeit, a little messy- and science was one of his favorite subjects; it was the only one he loved besides music and theater.

“I didn’t even  _ buy _ the textbook,” the girl said somewhat regretfully, pulling a bright pink pen out of her purse before looking back at him. “Think that was stupid?”

She took her bottom lip in between her teeth, and Jisung’s eyes darted to the movement, swallowing hard as he let out a slight chuckle.

“I mean,  _ nah _ ,” he said, watching her smile again- so  _ pretty _ \- before she was pulling out a purple, glittery notebook. “Some professors don’t even use them. I might’ve been stupid for buying it.”

She giggled, sweeping all of her hair off her shoulders, and Jisung quickly busied himself with opening his notebook, not trusting himself to keep his eyes on her  _ face _ .

“I highly doubt you’re stupid,” she said.

Before Jisung could come up with a proper response to that, their professor was walking inside the classroom, waving at everyone as he pulled his briefcase off his shoulder.

“Hello,  _ Hello _ class, and welcome to Basic Biology!”

There was a muttered greeting back, the students still a little shy, but the professor didn’t seem to care, clapping his hands together before pulling a stack of papers from his bag.

“I hope you all are ready to learn,” he said with a grin. “I wanna start off by saying, I am  _ not _ one of those professors who doesn’t use the textbook. So if you don’t have it;  _ buy it _ .”

Jisung was looking at the girl just as she was looking at him, and they shared a secret smile before they were facing forward once more. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing; it’s like the professor had heard their conversation.

“Those of you that have it, I want you to turn to page 346, towards the back of the book-”

Jisung was quickly opening up the text, fingers sifting through the pages.

“-you’ll find a  _ very _ useful  _ organisms _ chart there, which I’ll be referencing a lot as we make our way through the semester-”

Finding the right page, he opened the book completely before sliding it to the middle of the table, watching the girl scoot in a little.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

Jisung was all too aware of how  _ close _ she was moving, her arm touching his by the time she was scooted all the way in, glancing up at him with another one of her smiles.

“I’m Nari by the way…”

She kept her voice low enough that the professor couldn’t hear, and Jisung grinned as well, a nervous flutter in his chest as he nodded.

“Jisung,” he said back quietly.

She was biting her lip again, and his eyes were on her mouth- her face wasn’t too far from his own- before he was looking away, adjusting a little in his chair.

The teacher was instructing them to turn to a new page, and he reached forward to do so, Nari watching the movement of his fingers.

When he sat back again, she was grinning at him, and he wondered how he’d gotten so incredibly  _ lucky _ .

* * *

* * *

“She seems  _ way _ too good to be true.”

Jiae rested her arms on the notebook, Grandma laughing loudly at that.

“You think so?” the older asked, sounding amused.

“ _ Definitely _ ,” she said, eyes back on the pages. “Jisung doesn’t even  _ know  _ her; she might be hot, but what if she’s like, I don’t know, a serial killer or something?”

“Well Jisung wouldn’t be here to write his side of the story, now would he?” her grandmother teased.

“He’s fictional,” she muttered, scowling a little. “I don’t know, I just don’t like her.”

Jiae was about ninety percent positive she was getting too attached to this Jisung guy, and his inevitable love for Yuri, but she chose to ignore that thought.

“You don’t even  _ know _ her,” was her grandma’s snarky reply, which made Jiae laugh somewhat reluctantly.

“ _ Ah _ , I guess you’re right,” she said, already turning the page. “I’ll just keep going…”

* * *

* * *

Jisung sat across from Yuri, both of them settling in the cafe chairs before Yuri was resting her forearms on the table.

“Doesn’t this seem like a bit much?” she asked, turning her head to the side. “Jaeun hasn’t stopped talking about Chan since she met him two weeks ago.”

Jisung laughed;  _ of course _ she'd been talking about Chan.

His roommate hadn’t shut up about  _ Jaeun _ either.

“I think Chan’s a little nervous, actually,” he said with a shrug. “He seems to like-  _ really _ like her.”

“I mean, it makes sense,” Yuri said as tucked some hair behind her ear. “They’ve got  _ great _ chemistry. Everytime we hang out together, they just  _ talk _ , you know? And they have like, so much in common, I don’t even think they realize it…”

“I don’t know  _ how _ ,” Jisung joked, glancing over his shoulder at the food line; he was honestly getting pretty hungry. 

“It’s love at first sight if I’ve ever seen it,” Yuri sighed, dropping her hands to the table with a light thud. “He doesn’t need to be  _ nervous _ ; Chan should’ve just asked me!”

“Asked you what?”

Jisung laughed, watching Chan pop up behind Yuri, making her jump a foot in the air.

“ _ Yah _ ,” she exclaimed loudly, laughing as she swatted at his arm. “What the hell-?”

“Sorry,” he didn’t sound the least bit apologetic, making his way around the table and plopping in the chair next to Jisung. “What should I have asked you about?”

“ _ Jaeun _ ,” Yuri replied, smiling at him. “Dude, we don’t need all this  _ elaborate _ planning. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since you guys met; she  _ likes _ you.”

“Really?” Chan looked flattered, raising his eyebrows in genuine surprise, and Jisung tried not to laugh again.

“Yeah, she’s been-”

But Jisung kicked her under the table, spotting Jaeun walking through the entrance of the cafeteria, smiling brightly as she made a beeline straight for them. Her cheeks were already a little pink, and he smiled at the sight of it; she was cute.

Yuri yelped in surprise, scowling at Jisung, but he nodded in Jaeun’s direction, silently telling his best friend to  _ shut it _ .

“Hey guys.”

Jaeun made it to their table, taking her purse off her shoulder as she sat in the seat next to Yuri.

“Hey,” they all said in unison.

Jisung glanced at Yuri, and the two of them shared meaningful eye contact before he was standing from his seat, picking his backpack up off the floor.

“Guys, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot…” he tried to sound as convincing as possible as he threw his bag over his shoulder. “I’ve gotta run to the library before my class tomorrow morning…”

Jaeun and Chan were both looking up at him before he turned to Yuri, grinning at her.

“Wanna come with me?”

Yuri’s smile was just a  _ little _ too obvious as she hurriedly hopped from her chair.

“Yeah sure! I  _ love  _ the library!” she exclaimed and Jisung tried so hard not to bust out laughing; her tone was just a little too  _ enthusiastic  _ to be believable.

Jaeun raised a questioning eyebrow as Chan let out a nervous chuckle, Jisung grabbing Yuri’s wrist and pulling her away before she could say anything stupid.

“Come on,” he muttered, both of them waving over their shoulders before making their way out of the cafe.

As soon as they were out of earshot, he and Yuri started laughing, Jisung letting go of her wrist as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Could you be any more  _ obvious _ ?” he asked, his exasperation hardly noticeable as he spoke between laughter. “ _ Geez _ , Yuri-”

“What?” she asked, still giggling as they made their way out the door, and down the sidewalks. “It’s not like they’re not  _ crazy _ about each other already; why do we need all this build up?”

Jisung just shook his head, holding the strap of his backpack as Yuri sighed next to him.

“They should just feel lucky it’s so  _ easy _ for them,” she said, brushing some hair from her face as they walked. “It’s  _ not _ so easy for me. Guess who’s sitting  _ right _ in front of me in Art History? For the  _ whole _ semester?”

“Who?”

“The hot guy next door!” she answered excitedly, eyes bright as she turned to look at him.

“What?” he asked, turning his head in confusion.

“The guy who lives next door to you!” Yuri said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Remember, the one I told you about later that I was  _ freaking out _ about on move-in day?”

“ _ Oh _ …”

Jisung smirked a little, remembering when they’d been alone that night and she’d told him about knocking on his neighbor’s door, then calling him hot not realizing how  _ thin _ the walls were…

“So, Sehun sits in front of you, huh?” Jisung asked, teasing a little as he bumped his arm against hers. “That’s pretty cool. You really do have a  _ type _ , Yu.”

“What?” she asked, turning to look at him in genuine confusion. “I don’t have a type-”

He snorted with laughter, watching Yuri scowl a little.

“Come on,” he said playfully. “As soon as I saw him, I  _ knew _ you’d like him if you guys ever met. I literally told Chan that like, the first day we saw the guy. I almost made a bet… I  _ should _ have…”

Chan was willing to give him almost 20,000 won for that bet.

“ _ Yah _ ,” Yuri looked like she was trying to feel offended, but she was also smiling as she punched him lightly on the arm. “All my guys don’t look the same.”

“ _ Pft _ , really?” Jisung asked, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

“They don’t!”

“So, Sehun’s  _ tall _ right?”

“Yes…”

“Dark hair, that’s a little long but not  _ too _ long?”

“I mean… yes-”

“Is he artsy, doesn’t talk a whole lot, and have nice, broad shoulders?”

Jisung laughed as Yuri scoffed, her eyes darting from his.

“Uh- I mean,  _ yeah _ , but-”

“Wait  _ really _ ?” he asked, eyes widening in surprise. “Hey, I was just guessing on that artsy thing! Wow, Yu, you really  _ do _ have a type-”

“Hey, shut up!” she cried, laughing as she hit him again on the arm. “I’m not the  _ only one _ with a type, huh?”

“I like  _ all _ women,” Jisung said, playfully smug. “Thank you very much-”

“Yeah  _ sure _ ,” it was Yuri’s turn to tease, smirking at him as she continued. “Let me take a couple guesses as to what  _ Miss Sexy Biology Student _ looks like.”

Jisung was already regretting texting Yuri about that earlier in the day, but he’d been so excited he’d had to tell  _ someone _ ; who better than his best friend?

They always told each other when they saw someone hot or found someone they were interested in.

“Go ahead…” he replied, up for the challenge.

He wasn’t sure Yuri would get it as right as she thought she would; this Nari girl, she was  _ completely _ out of his league. He’d gone out with some pretty hot chicks in high school, he wouldn’t deny that, but none of them were quite as  _ stunning _ as her, or as confidently  _ sexy _ .

When they’d gotten some free time in class together, they’d talked and she was mysterious- didn’t talk about herself too much- and had a seductive air about her that had him feeling like he was in middle school all over again, talking to girls for the first time; Jisung wasn’t one hundred percent why she’d chosen  _ him _ to sit next to.

Maybe Yuri was right; maybe his time at the gym  _ had _ made him look different.

“Alright,  _ so- _ ”

She interrupted his thoughts, smiling smugly at him as she began.

“-I’m guessing she has long hair, silky and sleek? Moves it off her shoulders a lot?”

Jisung thought of Nari and how many times she’d done that during their entire, two hour class.

“Yeah-”

“ _ Ah _ , just as I suspected,” Jisung shook his head, a smile pulling on the corners of his lips as Yuri continued. “And I’m assuming she’s got nice legs, am I right? Probably wears a short skirt, your  _ weakness _ -”

_ What? _

Jisung wasn’t one hundred percent sure he’d ever told her that before.

“Um,  _ yes _ actu-”

“This  _ Nari _ , she’s probably got an air of  _ mystery _ to her, where she seems like a chase, even when she made the first move, ‘cause she was bold and confident enough to do so.”

Jisung laughed in disbelief.

“So, you’re intrigued of course, and when she made that move, you took the bait, and now she’ll wait,” Yuri was smiling proudly as Jisung’s mouth fell open in shock. “Sitting there watching you, like a demure, sly, _ cat _ …”

He couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed with the smirk on Yuri’s face, thinking of Nari and how  _ perfectly _ she fit that description.

“How the hell did you  _ know  _ all that?”

Jisung had half a mind to check his backpack to make sure she hadn’t installed some kind of camera to his strap when he wasn’t looking. 

“Because you totally have a type too,” she replied with a laugh, bumping her arm against his again. “And I just know the kind of girls you go for.”

She shrugged on that last part and Jisung didn’t have an argument; she really  _ had _ hit the nail on the head. 

“And I  _ also _ know, when you get her, you won’t hold onto her either.”

He looked at Yuri quickly, raising his eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

Her eyes met his, face a little more serious as she shrugged before turning away again, kicking a rock on the sidewalk.

“I mean… we both know you and I are the  _ worst _ with relationships,” she said. “ _ I  _ let one guy break my heart after I thought I found that  _ connection _ I wanted, and never tried it again.  _ You _ go out with girls until you get bored- which is like, three months max- and then you move on to the next one…”

Jisung was quiet for a moment, reflecting on that.

She was kind of  _ right _ .

Eunae, Stacy, Gayoung, Kyungmi, MiYoung… they were all the same. 

Hard to catch, fun to chase, and constantly kept him on his toes. But once his hand was in theirs, he found it to be suffocating-  _ mundane _ \- and it was hard for him to keep his attention on them anymore.

He never really felt like he  _ needed _ that relationship part.

Still, would he be like that with Nari, if she actually gave him the chance? Was he falling into the same cycle, finding interest in her just because she was mysterious? Would he really let someone as hot as  _ Nari _ go, just because the chase was over?

All those questions felt like a lot; he’d only just met her, after all.

“Hey, don’t think too hard about it,” Yuri was rubbing her hand along his forearm in a comforting gesture before pushing her fingers through the strands of her hair. “We’re in college now; things are supposed to be different.”

Jisung glanced over at her as they walked.

“Who knows?” she continued, a mischievous grin on her face. “Maybe you’ll end up  _ marrying _ Nari, the commitment’s so strong.”

She laughed at that and he did too, but it was half-hearted, still thinking about her words.

“Yeah…” Jisung replied thoughtfully, shoving his hands in his pockets. “ _ Maybe _ …” 


	7. Chapter 7

“So Jisung’s never wanted a serious relationship?” Jiae asked, turning the page as she looked at her grandmother.

“He’d never been interested in it, no,” she answered with a shake of her head. “Jisung never thought he needed it either; back then, it just wasn’t something that appealed to him.”

“While Yuri  _ wanted _ that, but couldn’t find the connection she was hoping for…” Jiae muttered, eyes darting to the new date at the top of the page. “They’re so  _ opposite _ , when it comes to love.”

“They are,” Grandma Kim agreed, nodding slowly.

“I  _ love _ this,” Jiae sighed, getting more comfortable in her seat. “I’m so  _ curious _ ; let me keep reading.”

The older just smiled before closing her eyes, and Jiae took that as her cue to continue in Yuri’s point of view.

“ _ The entire month of September went by in an exciting, busy  _ blur _. My first few weeks of college were filled with all things new; new people, new classes, new professors, new  _ life _. _

_ I’d made friends with some people sitting around me and got the hang of the campus, even finding my favorite place to study. I’d been keeping up with my homework fairly well, and the workload hadn’t seemed quite as heavy as everyone made it out to be; like I’d be drowning in my studies all the time. Jaeun and I got closer, and she and Chan continued to hang out, although I’d never heard from either of them that they were officially dating. _

_ The most exciting part of the first month, however, would have to be Sehun and I.  _

_ Everyday I walked into that art class, we said hello to one another. He didn’t talk much- Sehun was  _ very _ quiet- but he always smiled when he greeted me, and there were even a few times he had talked to me, asking to borrow a pencil or clarifying what page in the book we were on. _

_ I looked forward to Art HIstory more than any other class I had, trying to work up the courage to strike a full on conversation with the guy, or at least find an opening to talk between Professor Park’s boring lectures. _

_ It was the first week in October, when the colored leaves were just beginning to fall, and the cool air of autumn turned crisp with promises of the winter that was soon to come, that I  _ finally _ had my first opportunity to talk to Sehun…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Thursday, October 4, 2018_ **

Yuri was sitting in  _ Art History 101 _ , organizing her notes as she waited for class to begin.

She glanced up at the desk in front; their professor was there, still sorting through his things, having greeted the class with a simple nod like he always did. 

Her eyes wandered to Sehun, who was sketching as usual, and had greeted her with a smile and quiet “ _ Hey _ ” like  _ he _ always did. 

Yuri felt pathetic honestly, that she’d been sitting behind Oh Sehun for an entire month and had yet to say anything to him beyond “ _ Sure, I have a pencil you can borrow… No, you can keep it, I have a ton _ .” She’d tried to come up with  _ something _ to say, but class was always filled with long lectures or- when they  _ did _ have free time- Sehun’s nose was already buried back in his art, pencil sliding smoothly along the pages of his sketchbook.

She always peeked at his work, and today was no exception as her gaze darted to his desk, watching him put the finishing touches on what looked like a fluffy poodle, an intricate collar hanging around its neck. 

_ Is that his dog? _

Yuri’s attention was brought back to the front of the classroom when she saw the professor stand slowly from his desk, a stack of packets in his arms.

“Hello class,” his normally low voice was even  _ lower _ , raspy and hard to hear as he nodded again. “We’re going to do something different today-”

It was amazing really, how even with a barely audible voice, he still had every student’s attention.

“As you can hear, I’ve lost my voice,” he said, and Yuri wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not, the professor’s face still completely deadpan. “So you’ll be filling out these packets with the person sitting behind you-  _ partner _ work- to help you get to know the book a little better.”

Yuri’s heart skipped a beat as her eyes darted to Sehun, who seemed completely unphased by the professor’s announcement.

_ Partner work? _

“Turn it in by the end of class, and then you’re free to go.”

The professor was handing the packets to the front student of each row, and her classmates passed them back, Sehun getting the last one before slowly turning around, giving her the same, closed lip smile he always did.

“I guess we’re partners,” he said, and she’d forgotten really, how quiet and warm his voice was.

“Yeah,” she laughed, and she hoped to  _ God _ she wasn’t blushing, her face a little flushed. “I guess so.”

Yuri tried to stay as casual as possible, as Sehun sat completely sideways in his seat like he did so often, resting an arm on her desk as he glanced at the packet. She tucked her notebook and pencil into her bag, feeling a little jittery as she pulled out the textbook instead, laying it carefully on the desk.

They fell into a natural rhythm, Sehun reading off the first thing for them to find while Yuri moved to the index, finding the keywords they’d need before flipping to the correct pages. Then together, their eyes would roam along the print, and Sehun would be leaning in a little closer, making it hard for Yuri to breathe properly.

She wasn’t sure she’d seen anyone so  _ handsome _ before- he was even better looking than Jungkook- and if she hadn’t known before, Yuri definitely knew  _ now _ ; she had such a crush on this guy.

“An instrument of the blue period,” Sehun read out loud, and Yuri felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “That’s our clue.”

“Uh…” she let out a nervous laugh; art history wasn’t exactly her best subject.

“It’s probably Picasso,” Sehun said calmly, reaching forward to turn the pages of her book, Yuri quickly jumping out of the way. “ _ The Old Guitarist _ ; he made it during his blue period.”

Yuri’s eyebrows shot up in surprise; so Sehun was  _ smart _ , too?

“ _ Ah _ ,” she said unhelpfully, pretending she knew what he was talking about. “Yes…”

_ How is this guy real? _

She let him find the page they needed, her eyes on his hands- even  _ those _ were nice- curious as ever to get to know him just a little bit more.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity? The professor had practically handed it to her on a silver platter.

Sehun stopped flipping the pages, and she took a look at the painting in the top right corner of the book, reading the caption.

_ The Old Guitarist, Pablo Picasso, 1903-1904 _

He looked up at her, a one-sided grin on his face before he was scribbling the page number on their packet.

“So…”

Was her voice shaky? Yuri cleared her throat just slightly before continuing.

“I guess art is your favorite subject?”

If Jisung was in this class with her right now, he would’ve snorted with laughter at her absolutely  _ un-smooth _ delivery, but she tried to smile as nonchalantly as possible when Sehun glanced up at her.

“Yeah,” he replied with a nod. “It’s my major.”

Yuri waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t, and she realized this guy really  _ was _ the quiet type.

“What in art are you majoring in?” she tried again, voice a little steadier than last time.

“Illustration,” he answered simply, but he smiled this time, and she felt her stomach flip a little at the sight of it.

“I… that’s really cool,” Yuri said, nodding one too many times. “Your uh… your drawings are really good.”

She nodded towards the poodle sketch that was still sitting on his desk next to him.

“Thanks,” his smile was  _ bigger _ now, and it was  _ cute _ , Yuri smiling right back as she swallowed around the nervous lump in her throat.

“Is that your dog?” she asked curiously.

“ _ Monsieur _ ,” was his answer, and it took Yuri a minute to realize that was the dog’s name. “He’s a mini poodle.”

“ _ Oh _ ,” she said, glancing at the sketch again. “Well it’s… he’s cute. I like him… and the picture. It’s… you’re really talented.”

Yuri couldn’t understand how she was a  _ writer _ but somehow couldn’t put together coherent sentences, but Sehun either didn’t notice or didn’t care, still smiling a little as his eyes darted back to the packet.

“Thank you,” was all he replied with.

She felt awkward, as the two of them got back to their work- more than halfway through it now- and he started reading off the clues again, Yuri’s fingers sifting through the pages once more. Her stomach was swimming with butterflies and she was chewing nervously on her bottom lip, wondering how she could keep their conversation going.

It wasn’t until they were on the last page of the packet and he was scribbling their most recent page number down, that he finally looked up at her again.

“So, what are  _ you  _ majoring in?”

Sehun sounded casual- almost like he didn’t care if she answered him or not- but her heart was pounding in her chest because  _ he _ was talking to  _ her _ , and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I, uh-” she laughed a little, adjusting in her seat. “Writing. Well, Literature really. I just… I like to write.”

“That’s cool,” he said with a nod, his eyes already roaming back to the packet.

“I like art too though,” she added, and technically, that was true; she thought people who could draw were  _ amazing _ , even if she herself couldn’t do it to save her life. “I just… can’t really  _ draw _ .”

He chuckled at that, turning back to face her as she felt her stomach flip with excitement.

_ Holy crap, he’s good looking _

“That’s okay,” he said with a shrug, still smiling at her, so  _ calm _ compared to how she was feeling. “There’s a lot of people who like art and can’t draw at all.”

Yuri laughed- she supposed he was right- and he was still smiling a little as he turned back to the packet, turning to the final page.

She was nervous, yes, but she also felt a small warmth in her chest, shoulders a little less tense as she listened to their next clue he read out loud.

A month later, and she’d  _ finally  _ had a whole conversation with Sehun.

* * *

“Hey Yu-”

“Jisung,  _ oh my gosh _ !”

Yuri was walking hurriedly out of the art building, holding her phone to her ear as she made her way across the sidewalks towards her next class.

“What?” he asked with a laugh, a slight crackle on his end as he adjusted his phone. “What’s going on?”

“I finally talked to  _ Sehun _ ,” she told him excitedly, making sure to keep her voice low enough that no one else could hear her. “We had partner work in class today!”

“Yeah?” Jisung replied, a teasing lilt in his voice. “It’s only been, what? A month now?”

“Shut up!” Yuri exclaimed, laughing despite herself. “It’s not  _ my _ fault he’s so quiet… I didn’t know what to say!”

“So, what  _ did _ you say?” he asked curiously.

“I just… I don’t know, I saw his sketches, and it was a dog and I just started asking him about them,” she answered honestly, shrugging a little. “He was a lot easier to talk to than I thought…”

“Well good,” he said, and she could hear the chatter of students echoing in the background; it sounded like he was in his dorm building. “Glad you finally got the guts-”

Yuri scoffed, laughing as she shook her head.

“What _ ever _ … I feel like we made a connection, honestly… he even asked about  _ me  _ too,” she gripped the strap of her bookbag, a bit of a bounce in her step. 

“Really?” he asked, sounding a little surprised. 

“Yeah!” Yuri replied, beaming again. “Can we celebrate? I’m feeling restless; we should do something.”

With the madness of getting used to college life, she and Jisung hadn’t hung out nearly as much as they used to, and she kind of missed him.

“Okay,” he replied, sounding just as enthusiastic as she was. “Chan told me he’d get us some alcohol if we ever need it.”

“Oh my gosh,  _ yes _ ,” Yuri made sure to quiet her voice again. “Some Soju? Please?”

Jisung laughed, and she could hear him typing the passcode into his dorm.

“Yeah, I’ll ask him.”

They said their goodbyes, and Jiae stuffed her phone back in her pocket, unable to wipe the broad grin off her face.

She was drinking with Jisung tomorrow and she’d broken the ice with Sehun; it was turning out to be a really great week.

* * *

* * *

“ _ Crap _ , Grandma…”

Jiae’s eyes darted quickly to her grandmother’s face, wondering if the older considered  _ crap _ to be a cuss word, but she was laughing again, sitting up in her rocking chair.

“I really like this  _ Sehun _ guy,” Jiae all but whined, turning the pages of the notebook. “He sounds really sweet… just  _ quiet _ …”

“He does, doesn’t he?” Grandma asked, a small smile on her face as she began rocking again.

She watched the older for a moment, glancing at the clock behind her- she’d been there for almost two hours already.

Had time really flown that fast?

Jiae realized she was completely  _ invested _ in the story, and she also felt so much closer to her grandmother, even in just this short amount of time; she was a writer, just like her.

“How did you get the inspiration?” Jiae asked quietly. “To write all of this?”

Her Grandma was quiet for a moment, folding her fingers together in her lap before sighing.

“When you’ve lived as long as I have,” she began gently. “You see a lot of things in life, and have a lot of experiences.”

Jiae nodded; she could only imagine.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had this-” the older clenched her fists together. “-this  _ urge _ to write. I wanted to get everything on paper; so I wouldn’t forget.”

Jiae smiled a little, nodding again in agreement because she could  _ completely _ relate.

“When people write down their appointments so they won’t forget them or… or jot down  _ numbers _ in fear they won’t memorize them before it’s time to use the phone,” Grandma Kim continued. “That’s how I feel with my ideas; I want to get them down, before they slip away, even if I never use them…”

She motioned towards the notebook with a small smile.

“ _ This _ was an idea I was able to use.”

“That’s-” Jiae laughed a little. “That’s kind of  _ beautiful _ , Grandma.”

She ran her hands along the paper before talking again.

“I’ve had  _ so _ many ideas,” she told the older honestly. “But I wasn’t sure… I thought I’d never use them-”

“You never know,” her grandmother said softly. “ _ Always _ write them down. You’d be surprised how useful they can be later.”

Jiae’s smile was a little brighter before her eyes were darting to the new page, realizing they were back to Jisung.

“Should I keep reading?” she asked.

“Go right ahead.”

Grandma Kim was already sinking back into her usual position, and Jiae’s eyes were back on the words.

“ _ I was excited about Friday night with Yuri- it would be our first drinking night since we started college- and the entire day of classes felt like it was dragging on forever. _

_ There was only one class I was looking forward to that day, and it was the last one before the weekend. _

_ Biology.” _

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, October 5, 2018_ **

“Wow, are those notes just from  _ today _ ?”

Jisung looked up automatically at the surprise in Nari’s voice, chuckling under his breath as he glanced at his open notebook. They were released for the day, and he’d been about to pack up his stuff when she spoke.

“I mean…” he trailed off, flipping his pencil a couple times in a quick, nervous circle. “ _ Yeah _ .”

He was looking at his notes again, and was sort of proud of them; they were  _ very _ thorough. Jisung had learned pretty early on in school that if he wanted to  _ remember _ stuff, he had to take good notes, or he wouldn’t retain a thing.

“You’re amazing,” Nari breathed, her fingers brushing against his arm as she picked up the notebook slowly. “This is like, almost everything Professor Kim just said.”

Jisung laughed- no  _ way _ , the teacher talked  _ way  _ too fast- but he didn’t argue, watching as she delicately flipped back the pages, her pretty eyes roaming along everything he’d written.

Throughout the month he’d been in Biology with Nari- two hours a day, two times a week- she and Jisung had been talking on a regular basis, sometimes about class, sometimes not. She didn’t have a whole lot to tell him about  _ herself _ , but she was always asking about him, giggling at all his jokes and sitting close enough for him to smell the perfume she wore everyday.

Nari was  _ touchy _ too, her fingers always brushing along his arm, or leg bumping his under the table. If she turned her head to grab something from her backpack, the long, soft strands of her hair would dust across his skin, and she’d always turn around and smile back at him, almost like she’d done it on  _ purpose _ .

And while Nari’s behavior hadn’t gotten any less  _ off-putting _ \- Jisung always  _ did _ like bold girls- he was at least more prepared, not stuttering anymore when he talked and preparing himself for the slight tingle that spread across his skin at her light, not-so-innocent touches.

“How are you the best note-taker I’ve ever met?” Nari asked, interrupting his thoughts and making him laugh out loud. “No  _ really _ , it’s true! My notes are  _ nothing _ compared to this!”

Her giggle was high-pitched and slightly melodious as she used her free hand to brush her hair off her shoulders, and Jisung noticed she was wearing a low-cut shirt again before his eyes were darting quickly back up to her face. Nari hadn’t seemed to notice the slip-up, gaze already on his notes again before she was setting the book gingerly back on the table.

“No wonder you got an A on the last quiz,” she said, playfully bitter as she grinned up at him. “Think you could teach me how to do it like you?”

Jisung felt his heart skip a beat as she looked up at him through her lashes, biting her lip for a moment before she was flashing him a small, flirty smile.

“Uh- I mean,  _ yeah _ -” he tried to keep his words straight as her smile grew brighter, opening the oversized bag in her lap and dropping the bright pink pen she always used inside. “You can just  _ borrow _ them if you want to.”

Jisung wasn’t sure how he could teach Nari to take notes, but if she wanted to use them, he didn’t see why not.

They were friends, right?

“Really?” her beautiful eyes were meeting his, wide with surprise. “Are you sure?”

Nari was closing up her bag and shifting in her chair, bare leg dusting across his as he swallowed hard.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s no big deal-”

He was already reaching for the notebook, folding it closed before handing it over.

“-you can just bring it back on Wednesday.”

“Thank you,” her fingers slid deliberately across his own as she took the notes, giving him another small, genuine smile. “You’re way too nice. I promise, I’ll have them back here on Wednesday.”

“It’s no problem…” 

He was shrugging, both of them standing from their chairs as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Well thanks anyway,” she said, pushing her chair in before pulling her bag onto her delicate shoulder, grinning coyly up at him. “I’ll have to make it up to you…  _ somehow _ .”

Jisung’s eyes widened, but she was already turning around, and he watched her walk away, the classroom suddenly feeling  _ way _ too hot.

He pulled on the collar of his shirt as he started gathering his things, realizing the room was completely empty except for him. There was a buzz from inside his pocket, and he pulled his phone out, unlocking the device.

**Chan (4:36pm):**

_ Hey dude, Jaeun and I are hanging out tonight, but I left the Soju in the dorm; it’s in the bottom drawer. _

Jisung hurriedly threw his backpack over his shoulder before typing back to Chan, remembering he was finally  _ free _ ; it was the weekend.

**Jisung (4:37pm):**

_ Alright, I’m coming back now to get it. Thanks dude, I owe you. _

* * *

“Wait, wait,  _ wait _ -”

Yuri’s voice was  _ far _ too loud, but Jisung was laughing, turning away from her widening eyes.

“-you gave her  _ all _ your notes?”

It was dark out, the two of them walking together along the shopping district just a block from campus, giving Jisung a slight sense of deja vu; they used to do this all the time back home.

He’d gotten the Soju from his dorm before emptying two plastic water bottles, filling them with the liquid so they could walk the streets undetected, and they’d been out there for hours, talking and slowly drinking.

“It’s no big deal!” Jisung insisted, looking back at Yuri as she shook her head, grinning a little. “She’s gonna bring them back on Wednesday.”

“Look, I’ve  _ seen _ your notes, Sungie,” she said, raising her eyebrows as she twisted the cap off her water bottle. “You should’ve had her do…  _ whatever _ she was gonna do to make it up to you  _ before _ you handed over that notebook.”

Jisung swallowed a little at the mention of it- what had Nari meant by that? Was she being as flirty as he thought she was?

“Whatever, like you’re some  _ expert _ ,” he teased, quickly pushing his thoughts to the side. “So you finally talked to Sehun today, huh? After… four weeks of classes?”

“ _ Yah! _ ” she smacked him on the arm as he snickered. “We made progress today, okay? Now that we've broken the ice, I think I can start talking to him a little more regularly now.”

Jisung nodded, knowing once you got Yuri talking, there was no stopping her; not even a hot guy like Sehun.

“I think this Nari girl likes you,” Yuri bumped her shoulder against his, jumping back to their original subject. “So you’re probably in the clear, but you’ve gotta be  _ careful _ , dude. People can take advantage of you when you do stuff like that.”

He fought the urge to roll his eyes- Yuri could be such a  _ mom _ sometimes- choosing not to reply as he watched her take a sip out of her water bottle, cringing at the taste. He took a swig of his own drink, sighing a little as they fell into a temporary, comfortable silence.

If he was being honest, Jisung thought it was about time he asked Nari out already; they’d been talking and flirting in class for a few weeks now, and she  _ did _ seem interested. But he wasn’t sure all the way- she was  _ bold _ , but a mysterious bold that had him guessing even more than usual- and he didn’t want to look stupid, or have to sit next to her for the rest of the semester if she was going to reject him.

He glanced over at Yuri, watching her brush her long hair out of her face and to the side, her eyes roaming along the shops as they passed them by. Usually- when they went out with Jaeun and Chan- they stayed on the closest street to campus, often stopping at the chicken restaurant that had half-price deals for university students. But Jisung and Yuri had decided to keep walking this time, exploring another road a little further down, this one filled with more small business shops neither of them had seen yet.

“ _ Look _ ,” Yuri’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he followed her line of vision, grinning when he spotted the cozy bookstore just up ahead. “It’s so  _ cute _ .”

“It looks really nice,” Jisung agreed as they approached the front window, Yuri pausing as she peeked at the dark interior. 

The store was closed, and he could see their reflection in the glass, illuminated by the soft street lights from behind. Yuri was still smiling as she stood straight again, turning to face him once more.

“I hope one day  _ my  _ books will be displayed in the front window like these ones,” she said quietly, dreamy as usual when she had alcohol in her system.

She was taking another drink, and he did the same, eyes roaming along the titles of the newest bestsellers that sat snuggly in the metal display racks. 

“I hope they are too,” he told her honestly, putting the cap back on his water bottle. “That’d be badass.”

They were walking again as Yuri giggled a little, taking his hand in hers as she swung their arms violently back and forth.

“Would you read it?” she asked happily, making him laugh as well. “The  _ whole  _ thing?”

“I mean,” he was swinging his arm along with her, grinning playfully. “Depends on how long it is.”

“Two hundred and thirty-seven pages,” she said on the spot, both of them snorting with laughter; the soju was starting to kick in now. 

“ _ Way _ too long-”

“But I’m gonna be a  _ novelist _ , Sungie,” Yuri said, sounding exasperated even as she smiled. “You can’t expect it to be  _ too _ short; then it’s not any good.”

They were both completely distracted by another store up ahead, it’s bright, neon lights almost  _ blinding _ in the darkness of the night. Jisung squinted at the sign-  _ The Music Shop _ \- Yuri already letting go of his hand to peek inside again.

“You know, if you’re famous one day, your stuff could be in  _ these _ display windows,” she told him confidently as he caught up to her.

“We’d be super close by,” Jisung agreed, tucking his hands behind his back as he beamed. “Only one store in between us.”

They glanced at the shop to their right- a piano store- a momentary pause before they were both busting out laughing at the same time.

“Oh my gosh-” Yuri giggled, keeling over a little as she held her stomach.

“I know,” Jisung agreed, still chuckling as he looked back at her. “It’s  _ perfect _ .”

They both knew what the other was thinking; Chan and Jaeun  _ loved _ to play the piano.

Yuri’s books would be at the bookstore, Jisung’s music would be at the  _ music _ store, and Chan and Jaeun would be playing the piano, probably sitting outside to play one of the instruments for passersby on busy weekends, staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.

They started walking again, moving farther down the street as they took another simultaneous sip of their drinks, Yuri glancing over at him with a playful glare.

“If I don’t write a book, I’ll just host your album signings when you’re famous instead,” she told him. “That way you can’t forget me when you’re hanging out with all those celebrities.”

“ _ Pft _ ,” Jisung scoffed at that, grinning at her. “I couldn’t forget you; you’re  _ far _ too obnoxious.”

She went to whack him on the arm, but he dodged out of the way, both of them giggling as they started racing down the sidewalk, Yuri  _ much _ slower than he was.

When they stopped running, they were side by side once more, quiet as they walked together and tried to catch their breath, finishing off the last of their secret Soju.

“Wanna head back?” Jisung asked, pointing towards the campus as he took her water bottle from her hands, chucking both of them in a trash can on his left.

“Yeah, let’s watch the  _ Teen Titans _ movie tonight,” Yuri suggested. “Please? It’s been a while.”

“It’s not the  _ movie _ ,” Jisung argued, but he was smiling, stuffing his cold hands in the pockets of his jacket. “It’s the  _ finale _ .”

“ _ Technically _ it  _ is _ a movie, since it was released as its own separate entity from the series,” Yuri was slightly smug as she grinned back at him. “While it was released as a  _ series finale _ , it was still a movie-length production, and was sold as its own separate DVD.”

“What, did you memorize the wikipedia page?” Jisung asked, eyes wide with surprise. “Besides, you just said; it’s the series  _ finale _ . It was released on TV first, and was never  _ officially _ called a movie.”

“But it  _ was _ called a movie,” Yuri argued fiercely, talking with her hands. “It was just a  _ straight-to-DVD _ movie, that was meant to tie up the show-”

“Right, a  _ finale _ -”

They bickered all the way back up the street, Jisung finally pulling his phone out just as they made it back on campus grounds, typing the question into google.

Turns out, they were both right; it was described as an official  _ series finale _ for Teen Titans, premiering on TV as a  _ movie _ before being released for purchase on DVD.

After they laughed at how ridiculous their debate had been, they were arguing over whether Robin should’ve been with Starfire or Raven.

“I can’t believe we’re even having this debate,” Jisung lowered his voice as they made their way inside the boy’s dorm building, glancing both ways to see if anyone was even around.

It seemed the coast was clear for a moment.

“Look, I think Robin and Starfire are cute,” Yuri whispered, and he was thankful; no need to call attention to themselves. “But think of the  _ connection _ Raven and Robin had!”

“You and your  _ connections _ ,” Jisung rolled his eyes playfully at her, the two of them moving quietly up the stairs. “They were too dark together, Yu. Robin needed someone to like… I don’t know. Brighten him up.”

“And I agree, I think they would’ve dated for a while,” Yuri said, nodding profusely. “Or maybe forever, I don’t know, but I can’t pretend like I didn’t see the chemistry between Raven and Robin-”

“What chemistry?”

Jisung turned around to look at her incredulously when they made it to his floor, facing forward again as they walked quickly down the hallway.

“What  _ chemistry _ ?” Yuri sounded almost offended, like she’d personally written the Teen Titans series. “Sungie, are you  _ blind _ ? Robin was the only one who truly  _ understood _ Raven, way more than  _ Beastboy _ -”

Jisung was laughing as they made it to his door, quickly typing in the password before turning the knob.

“Beastboy was  _ fine _ for Raven-”

But they both quieted when they heard music coming from inside the dorm, no light on in the room except for the soft glow of a single desk lamp. 

Then Jisung’s eyes fell on his roommate’s bed, where Chan was lying flat on his mattress, Jaeun right on top of him with their lips locked together-

“ _ Oh my god _ -” Yuri breathed, voice barely audible for once in her life.

“Go,  _ go _ ,” he hissed.

Jisung hurriedly shoved her backwards, closing the door as quietly as he could before they were staring at each other for a moment, eyes wide as saucers.

“Holy  _ shit _ ,” Yuri said quietly, giggling behind her hand as Jisung too, started laughing. “They didn’t even  _ hear _ us-”

“I  _ know _ ,” he was leading the way back down the hall, still chuckling as he glanced at Yuri. “I can’t believe he didn’t  _ tell  _ me.”

Chan had been pretty quiet about his situation with Jaeun, saying they were just “getting to know one another” and Jisung had taken his word for it, figuring the man would tell him if anything exciting happened.

But now that he thought about it, he remembered his roommate talking about how  _ private  _ Jaeun was.

_ Maybe he was keeping quiet for her _

“I can’t believe Jaeun didn’t tell  _ me _ ,” Yuri said, sighing a little in disdain, both of them moving quickly back down the stairs. “But honestly, I don’t think she tells people things like that unless they ask her outright, and I wasn’t exactly gonna do  _ that _ -”

They made their way back outside before he and Yuri were both exhaling in unison, trying not to keep giggling; it was hard with the alcohol in their system like it was.

“Should we head to your dorm?” he asked, jerking his thumb in the direction of Yuri’s building. “I guess since Jaeun isn’t _ there _ -”

They both snorted with laughter, Yuri shaking her head a little as she glanced at the double doors behind them.

“Yeah,” she giggled, leading the way down the stairs. “Let’s head to my place instead.”


	8. Chapter 8

“They’re such nerds,” Jiae giggled affectionately, turning the page as her Grandma laughed along with her. 

“They were,” she agreed, nodding a little. “It was something they’d always bonded over; Jisung and Yuri  _ loved _ to debate, even if it was just for fun…”

“Did they ever fight for real?” Jiae asked curiously.

“I’m sure,” the older replied softly, eyebrows furrowed a little. “No one spends that much time with one another without arguing. But they always found a way to get over it; as you read earlier, it was very hard for the two of them to be away from each other for very long.”

Jiae was giggling again, covering her mouth as her grandmother raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I can’t believe they caught Chan and Jaeun making out in the dorm,” she gushed, her Grandma smirking a little, pressing her lips together. “I  _ knew _ they were gonna get together…”

“Yes, it was  _ quite _ the surprise, finding out that way,” her grandmother replied, rocking back and forth in her chair.

Jiae smiled, noting the new date at the top of the page, Jisung’s messy scrawl still filling the lines.

She took a small drink of water, reading out loud again, eager to continue the story.

“ _ It only took a week before Yuri was spilling the beans to her roommate about what we’d walked in on, embarrassing both Jaeun and Chan.  _

_ They’d told us everything after that; how they’d been spending the last couple weeks just getting to know one another, and the night Yuri and I had come to the dorm, they’d had one too many beers at the restaurant up the road, and Chan hadn’t even  _ thought _ to text me. _

_ Seeing them together like that- pink-faced and a little ashamed, but  _ happy _ \- made me want to bite the bullet with Nari already. She’d brought my notes back just as promised the following Wednesday, and we made it a routine- her looking over my notes and copying them during class, while I let her take the notebook home on Friday afternoons to fill in anything she’d missed. _

_ She always came back with a smile a little more thankful than the last, promising me that she’d find a way to make it up to me, but never telling me  _ how _ , which always kept me a little on edge in the best of ways. _

_ Still, two weeks had gone by and I’d yet to make a move, kicking myself every time I left class. Then on another Friday afternoon, Nari was surprising me yet again, completely beating me to the punch…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, October 19, 2018_ **

“So, tell me more about you.”

Nari was resting both elbows on the table, already done with the slides the professor had passed out for them to evaluate and identify, Jisung pulling their answers carefully from his notebook.

“Okay,” he replied with a laugh, turning to look at her. “What do you wanna know?”

Her beautiful face was resting in the palms of her hands, and she was giggling, sitting close as usual as her eyes darted along his features for a moment.

“Are you majoring in science?” she questioned, a playful edge to her voice. “‘Cause if you’re not, you totally should.”

“Uh,  _ no _ ,” he replied, chuckling again. “Music Production, actually.”

“A  _ music _ major?” Nari repeated, her pretty eyes widening in surprise. “Wow, Han Jisung, you’re just like, the whole package, aren’t you?”

“ _ What _ ?”

He could feel the tips of his ears burning as he flipped his notebook closed, smoothing down the plastic cover. 

“I’m just sayin’,” she said with a shrug, not elaborating as she spotted the silver, chain bracelet around his wrist. “What’s that?”

He rotated his arm a little, inspecting the bracelet before looking back at her.

“ _ Ah _ , my mom got it for me,” he said, smiling a little as he lifted the small, dangling circle that hung from the chain. “It has my dad’s initials on it.”

Jisung hadn’t known his father- he’d passed away too young for him to remember- but he’d been wearing the bracelet since his middle school days, when his mother insisted he wear it in honor of the man.

“That’s sweet,” Nari said, reaching out to run her fingers delicately along the chain. “You must love him a lot.”

He ignored the slight, tickling sensation her touch left behind.

“Well…” Jisung hesitated, deciding he’d rather  _ not  _ talk about it. “Yeah. He’s… He’s great.”

She didn’t seem to notice his hesitation, pulling their answer sheet towards her so she could write her name neatly below his own.

“So what are  _ you _ majoring in?” he asked, wanting to know more about the mysterious  _ Nari _ .

“Financing,” she told him simply, putting the cap back on her pen. “So, do you just write music or do you perform, too?”

“Both,” Jisung answered, grinning playfully as she looked up at him once more. “How come I don’t get to know more about you?”

They’d been doing this lately- talking a lot more flirtily than usual- and she smiled demurely at him, raising an eyebrow as she swept her hair off her shoulder like she so often did. 

“Because my life’s boring,” was her reply, turning her head to the side and chewing on her bottom lip again before speaking. “So, you  _ perform _ too? Are you like, a singer… or?”

“Uh, sort of both?” he answered honestly, realizing Nari was  _ not _ going to talk about herself that easily. “I mean, I prefer to rap, but-”

“A rapper…” she hummed a little, her leg brushing against his again as she adjusted in her chair. “That’s kind of  _ hot _ , actually.”

He let out a breathy laugh, swallowing around the nervous lump in his throat as her eyes roamed up and down the length of his body for only a moment, the smile on her face telling him she  _ knew _ he was affected by her.

“Thanks,” Jisung responded as nonchalantly as he could, his voice- thankfully- sounding pretty normal.

“No problem.”

She was scooting backwards a little, glancing at his notebook before raising her eyebrows at him.

“So you’re okay for me to take your notebook for another weekend?” Nari asked, reaching out hesitantly as if waiting for him to protest.

“Yeah,” he laughed lightly, sliding it forward until it hit the palm of her hand. “I really don’t mind.”

She grinned widely, and she really was just  _ beautiful _ , her eyes darting to the notebook as she placed it into her bag before she was looking back up at him.

“Do you have your phone?”

Jisung pulled the device from his pocket, holding it up as she took it gently from his grasp, making sure her fingers slid against his before she pulled away.

“What’s your password?” 

She was smiling mischievously at him, and Jisung leaned forward, typing in the code upside down and watching his screen unlock. Then she was clicking on the texting app, typing a number into the box before writing a quick message and hitting send.

“I’ve got your number,” she told him simply, placing the device back into the palm of his hand. “And now you’ve got mine. In case I have any more  _ questions _ .”

He laughed at that just as the professor was calling out to the class.

“There’s nothing else we’ll be covering today,” he told them all, eyes darting around the room. “As long as your slides are complete, you can hand the paper into me and be dismissed.”

Jisung raised his eyebrows in surprise- normally Professor Kim had more for them to work on than simple slides- but he was excited nonetheless, watching Nari grab the notebook paper from their table as she slowly stood up.

“I’ll text you,” she promised, bag on her shoulder as she smiled down at him. “Maybe we can finally figure out how I can pay you back for letting me borrow your notes every weekend.”

There was no denying it- Nari’s eyes were flashing with playful flirtation- and the innuendo in her words was clear before she was turning around, making her way to the classroom to give the professor their paper.

She was wearing a skirt again-  _ always _ \- and Jisung had trouble tearing his eyes away this time, finally looking at his phone and spotting the message still sitting on his screen.

**555-657-8943 (4:23pm):**

_ Han Jisung’s Number ;) _

He raised his eyebrows before tucking the phone back into his pocket, exhaling deeply.

Jisung would  _ definitely _ be texting her this weekend.

* * *

* * *

“ _ Wow _ …”

Jiae was impressed, reaching the end of the page and looking up at her Grandma.

“This Nari girl is pretty smooth, isn’t she?”

“ _ Very _ ,” her grandmother agreed, not smiling really as she continued to rock in her chair.

“You don’t like her either,” Jiae said with a giggle, eyebrows raising in surprise. “Do you?”

“I never said that,” the older laughed, wiggling a finger at her.

“I can tell-” Jiae insisted, turning to the next page as she smiled. “-but I don’t blame you… there’s something fishy about her, don’t you think?”

But Grandma Kim was staying silent again, and she knew what the older would say, if she asked anymore questions.

So her eyes were on the notebook once more, back to reading from Yuri's point of view.

“ _ I’d been right when I told Jisung that Sehun and I had broken the ice; every day after our partner work, we had some kind of conversation, even if I did most of the talking. He seemed fine with that- I was pretty sure Sehun just didn’t have a whole lot he wanted to say- and I was fine with it too; it felt like that was how it was  _ supposed _ to be.  _

_ While I made progress with Sehun, my roommate and I had grown even closer than before, and once again, it was nice to have a girlfriend for a change; I’d never had that experience before Jaeun. _

_ We spent many nights after class in our dorms together, putting something nerdy on our tiny TV as we got to know one another, Jaeun telling me all about her and Chan…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday, October 24, 2018_ **

Yuri sat very still on the wooden floor between her and Jaeun’s beds, her roommate gently clamping a section of her hair into the hot curling iron.

“So, how’s it going with Chan?”

She spoke carefully as to not move her head, and she could see Jaeun smiling a little in the mirror they had propped up against Yuri’s mattress.

“It’s great,” Jaeun answered with a laugh, releasing Yuri’s hair as it fell into a perfect, spiral curl. “I really like him…”

Yuri grinned, listening to an episode of  _ Avatar: The Last Airbender _ play quietly in the background.

“You guys are really great together,” she said, watching her roommate’s cheeks go pink in the mirror. “How’s… everything  _ else _ going with you guys?”

Jaeun was just releasing her next section of hair when they locked eyes in the reflection, the girl letting out a small giggle.

“What do you mean?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“You  _ know _ what I mean,” Yuri insisted, hurriedly turning around to face her. “I  _ know _ you two hang out a lot… what are you guys up to all those late nights you’re not here?”

Three weeks ago, there’s no  _ way _ Yuri would’ve been this pushy about Jaeun and her personal life with Chan. But ever since one night- when she and Yuri had one too many wine coolers and spilled some of their sexiest secrets to one another- their lines of communication had been  _ much _ more open, and Yuri knew all she had to do was  _ ask _ .

“I mean, as of right now…” Jaeun was still smirking, picking up the small, to-go coffee cup sitting next to her leg. “We’ve uh… we’ve done everything but sex.”

Yuri’s eyes widened, picking up her own cup before looking back at her roommate.

“ _ Whoa _ , really?” she asked, both amazed and a little envious. “ _ Damn _ , look at you guys.”

They giggled, both of them taking sips out of their cups as they grinned at one another.

The coffee cups weren’t filled with  _ coffee _ at all; they were filled with  _ wine _ , and Yuri felt warm and happy, talking to Jaeun like this, her hair half curled and her nails actually  _ painted _ for once.

“He’s just…” Jaeun struggled for the right words, Yuri facing the mirror again as the girl placed her cup back on the floor. “He’s  _ perfect _ .”

Yuri was giggling again, the stars in her roommate’s eyes filling her with pure  _ joy _ ; could she and Chan be any  _ cuter _ ?

“I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about you,” she told her honestly, Jaeun reaching for the curling iron before taking another section of Yuri’s hair. “The way he looks at you says it all…”

“I know,” Jaeun replied, sounding somewhat amazed by the whole thing. “I don’t think I’ve ever had  _ anyone  _ look at me the way Chan does…”

Were there butterflies in Yuri’s stomach? There definitely  _ were _ , and she was smiling at her friend, watching her wrap more dark brown strands around the curling iron.

“Have you guys gone on an official date yet?” she asked curiously.

Despite Jaeun and Chan spending so much time together, they hadn’t been on a date any fancier than drinking coffee at the campus cafe. Her roommate admitted that their schedules were hard to work around, and she’d never been one for the big and fancy; just the two of them talking was fine with her.

“Not yet,” she said with a shrug, sounding completely indifferent about the whole thing as she released Yuri’s hair. “I don’t really need it though.”

“Yeah, I know,” she nodded, grinning at her in the mirror. “You’re pretty awesome.”

They both laughed again, falling into momentary silence as Yuri took another drink of wine, watching Jaeun get to work on her next strands of hair.

“You know, before we met, I was  _ super _ nervous about meeting you,” she admitted, Jaeun glancing up in surprise at that. 

“Why?” she asked.

“I saw all the makeup on your bed,” Yuri confessed with a light laugh. “I thought you would be a girly-girl, you know? And I don’t know… I never get along too well with those. But I feel bad now…”

“Don’t,” Jaeun shook her head quickly with a smile, already getting back to her task. “I get that all the time. People  _ always _ think I’m a princess or something, even though I’m  _ not _ at all…”

They giggled, Yuri wondering what  _ that  _ was like; for the world to look at you and think you were as dainty as a flower- almost helpless in a way- jumping to conclusions before they knew anything about you. She’d never experienced it herself; she’d always been goofy, loud, outspoken, and a bit of a tomboy for the majority of her life, and most people who met her never seemed too shocked by  _ her  _ personality.

“ _ That’s because there’s nothing hidden about you _ ,” Jisung always told her.  _ “You’re an open book _ .”

“What was  _ your _ first impression of me?” Yuri asked curiously, realizing most of her hair was curly now; Jaeun worked fast. “Did  _ I _ seem like a princess?”

“ _ No _ ,” Jaeun answered bluntly, and they chuckled together before she continued. “No, I honestly thought you were funny… a little  _ loud _ , but I don’t mind it; I like loud. Outspoken… kind of a go-getter…”

“So nothing too surprising, huh?” Yuri asked, grinning at the answer; Jisung was absolutely right.

“Well,  _ actually _ …”

Her roommate hesitated, sectioning off some more of Yuri’s hair.

“What?” Yuri was a little impatient, raising her eyebrows at Jaeun in the mirror. “Am I mysterious after all?”

“No, no-” she laughed again, finally looking up to meet Yuri’s eyes in the reflection. “I thought you and Jisung were boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“ _ Ah _ ,” Yuri immediately sighed, smiling a little as she picked up her paper cup. “Yeah, we get that a lot. But nah… just best friends…”

She took a sip of her drink, Jaeun nodding for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face.

“What?” Yuri asked, giggling a little.

“Nothing, nothing-”

But she was far too curious, laughing again as she placed her cup back on the floor.

“ _ Jaeun _ ,” she cried out playfully. “Tell me!”

“ _ Nothing _ , I just-” she was hesitating again, a smile still pulling on the corner of her lips as she shrugged. “I think you and him would be really good together.”

Yuri rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, still grinning.

“Yeah, you and everyone else in my family,” she sighed, shaking her head a bit. “We’ve been getting that pretty much our whole lives.”

She was so  _ used to it _ now; she and Jisung had been getting the “You guys should get together” lectures or “Why don’t you just get married?” jokes for as long as she could remember.

Jaeun was bold, it seemed, with the wine in her system, looking at Yuri in the mirror again before speaking.

“So… you’ve never thought about it?”

Yuri’s eyes darted from hers as she let out another small laugh, shaking her head again.

“Never,” she answered honestly. “Jisung’s just… not my type.”

Sure, the man was her best friend and she could tell him everything. And yes, Jisung was  _ definitely _ handsome- she’d only been hearing about it from other girls since early high school- but that didn’t mean she had any  _ interest _ in him.

“It would be weird,” she added as an afterthought, wrinkling her nose a little bit. “You know? He’s just… he’s my best friend.”

Yuri wasn’t sure what other explanation was needed… it just,  _ wasn’t  _ like that between them; never had been.

Jaeun nodded in silent agreement, dropping the issue entirely as she reached for the next section of her hair.

* * *

**_Thursday, October 25, 2018_ **

Yuri walked into Art History, feeling a little more confident than usual as she gripped her backpack on one shoulder.

Jaeun had helped her curl her hair again- it was  _ staying _ for once- and it was an unusually warm day out today, so Yuri had decided to wear the only jean skirt she owned with a cute, purple shirt to match.

“ _ Sehun’s gonna love it _ ,” Jaeun had told her, both girls giggling as she made her way to their door. “ _ Let me know how it goes _ .”

She was feeling giddy, as she walked down the row to her seat, watching Sehun look up like he always did, smiling and lifting his hand to wave.

But this time, his eyes darted up and down her body- so quick, she was sure if she didn’t pay so much  _ attention _ to him, she might not have noticed at all. 

Yuri waved back, pressing her lips together to keep from giggling before she was sitting down behind him, eyes darting to one of Sehun’s sketches. He was drawing a different dog this time- a white fluffy one- and every stroke of his pencil was meticulous and  _ careful _ , Yuri admiring his work.

_ He’s so talented _

Sehun was sitting sideways in his seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he kept his eyes trained on the drawing, Yuri staring at him for a few unashamed seconds.

_ He checked me out _

It might’ve been small, but she’d seen it, and there was a small, excited  _ bubble _ in her throat as she tore her eyes from the side of his face, digging out her pencil and a notebook, getting ready for the next, inevitably long lecture from Professor Park.

And the lecture  _ was _ long- it seemed the Professor was rather fond of the 1900’s era- and she struggled like always, to pay attention, Sehun still leaning back in his seat, running his long fingers through his hair…

But then, the professor was finally writing some key points he’d wanted them to take from the lesson on the board, and Yuri was scribbling them down, knowing class would be over soon enough and she could tell Jaeun she was pretty sure Sehun had noticed her outfit.

It surprised her when the man sat up straight only to turn sideways in his seat again, looking directly at her.

“Hi,” he said with a small smile, and Yuri reminded herself to breathe.

“Um, hi,” she replied with a laugh, motioning to his sketch of a new dog, which was still laying near the corner of his desk. “I like the picture… is that another one of your dogs?”

Yuri was getting better at this whole  _ starting a conversation _ thing with Sehun; a lot of times, he just needed a little push, that was all.

So when she had an opening, she grabbed it.

“Yeah,” he glanced back at the drawing for a moment, smile a little bigger like it always was when he talked about his dogs. “Vivi.”

_ Oh my gosh, how is he so cute and hot at the same time… Always my weakness… _

“Well, it’s really good as usual,” she replied, grinning right back at him. “You’re like…  _ super _ talented.”

“Thanks.”

He chuckled lightly, glancing back to look at the drawing for a moment before sitting up straight, digging his hand into the pocket of his jeans.

Yuri watched him curiously, Sehun pulling out a neon blue piece of paper, folded into fourths. She watched him slowly flatten it out on his desk before he was holding it up for her, one of the usual, one-sided smiles on his face.

“One of my friends told me we get extra credit, if we go to this art fair,” he told her, voice quiet. “Did you want to go with me?”

Yuri’s eyes widened in obvious shock before she was reading the flyer quickly.

**Hanyang University Art Fair**

**Sunday, October 28, 2018**

**1:00pm-5:00pm on Campus Grounds near Art Building C**

She knew  _ exactly _ where that was- she used the open area as a shortcut sometimes to get to her Literature class- and her eyes darted up to Sehun’s, reminding herself to blink.

“You want to go?” her voice was a little squeaky as she repeated his words. “ _ Together _ ?”

He was laughing again, a little louder than his normal as he started folding the flyer back up.

“Yeah,” he answered nonchalantly. “If you want.”

“I mean-  _ yeah _ -” Yuri  _ really  _ needed to get a grip, nodding a little as she smiled at him again. “Sure, yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun.”

He picked up his pencil, putting the folded flyer on her desk before writing a phone number on the paper.

“Text me so I have your number,” he instructed, pushing the flyer towards her. “We can meet in front of this building and walk there together.”

Yuri nodded, watching him gather his things and throw them smoothly into his backpack. Then he was standing up- so  _ tall _ \- and smiling down at her again.

“I’ll see you Sunday.”

She smiled back, her stomach fluttering with excited butterflies as she gripped the paper a little tighter in her hands.

“Yeah… see you Sunday…”

Then he was turning around and walking casually out of the class, Yuri feeling a little dumbfounded before staring at his number.

A small giggle slipped from her throat before she could help it, and she glanced down at her outfit.

Maybe Yuri should wear skirts a little more often.


	9. Chapter 9

“Oh my gosh…” Jiae breathed, eyes wide with surprise. “Isn’t that like, the most Sehun’s ever  _ spoken _ to her?”

“Oh  _ no _ , I’m sure he spoke to her about that much every time,” her grandmother laughed, shaking her head. “She just skipped all the details because I imagine their conversations were probably pretty simple…”

“That was so cute…” Jiae sighed, staring back down at the notebook. “He was kind of smooth, too, wasn’t he?”

Grandma Kim just chuckled, humming softly in agreement.

“Well, now I don’t know what to think,” she was turning the pages again, thinking how  _ happy _ Yuri had been; maybe this Sehun guy was right for her after all?

“You’re starting to get to the good stuff, dear,” her grandmother reassured her, nodding towards the pages. “Go on.”

Jiae’s eyes roamed across the new date- still in Yuri’s handwriting- reading out loud once more.

“ _ I had only one midterm left the Friday after Sehun asked me out, and it was hard for me to concentrate, knowing I’d be going on a date with him in just two days' time. _

_ I told Jisung first- who was happy for me, making jokes that the two of us would have significant others before the end of the semester. Then I’d told Jaeun, who was over the moon, and it wasn’t long before Chan was finding out as well, insisting we all celebrate that Saturday night. _

_ We all agreed of course, and Chan had taken care of grabbing the alcohol, letting them know that Chen was taking Chanyeol’s spot as the RA that weekend, and he was the most relaxed RA on the campus. _

_ So that night, we all piled into Chan and Jisung’s dorm, surrounded by way more alcohol than I was used to, celebrating the start of so many new beginnings… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Saturday, October 27, 2018_ **

Yuri was pretty sure she was the drunkest she’d ever been.

Not that she felt sick or anything; in fact, she felt absolutely  _ perfect _ .

For the entirety of the night, she’d been hanging out with Chan, Jaeun, and Jisung, laughing way too much and  _ drinking _ way too much, while the four of them talked loudly over one another, proving that Chen really  _ was _ the chillest RA on campus.

“You guys, I’m putting an end to this argument,  _ right now _ -”

Yuri slammed her hand on Jisung’s mattress where all four of them had somehow ended up, shaking the stack of playing cards sitting between them all.

“Ginny and Draco are the hottest would-be couple in Harry Potter because they’re the most forbidden- a Malfoy and a  _ Weasley _ \- are fiery, confident, and have a knack for breaking the rules.”

Jaeun smiled smugly at the guys, crossing her arms over her chest.

“ _ Exactly _ ,” she said. “What Yuri said.”

“ _ Okay _ , but-,” Jisung shook his head back and forth, pointing his bottle at Yuri. “-half the stuff you said, applies to Draco and  _ Hermione _ too. I mean, a muggleborn and a pureblood?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chan agreed, nodding once before breaking open another can of beer. “And Hermione is fiery too, yeah? And she’s smart, might make it kind of fun-”

He and Jisung exchanged a look, both of them laughing a little under their breaths. Yuri and Jaeun glanced at one another before  _ they _ were giggling too; they were all way too immature.

“Plus, Hermione has a hotter body,” Jisung added.

“That’s only in the  _ movies _ ,” Jaeun giggled. “You don’t know how she’s  _ supposed _ to look-”

They’d been debating on this- and  _ other _ things- between drinks, Chan passing them new bottles and cans, even starting off the night with a couple shots that felt like  _ fire _ when they slid down Yuri’s throat. 

Jaeun’s cheeks had been red for hours, the girl giggling every time she caught Chan looking at her, which was almost every moment they’d all been together. 

Jisung was drunk too- somehow  _ louder _ than he normally was- laughing often and falling against Yuri’s shoulder when things got too funny for either of them to handle.

They’d played a variety of drinking games throughout the night- Never have I ever, Twenty Questions, and an app on Jaeun’s phone that quizzed them about random stuff, which they were all  _ depressingly _ terrible at- and Yuri was really  _ feeling _ it. 

Her body was floaty, like she was sitting on a cloud, and the world was just a little off-kilter, but not enough that she couldn’t function. She was smiley and warm, thoughts scattered but happy, and she had a sense of relaxation to her, very  _ devil-may-care _ .

“Look,” Yuri was moving again, more of their playing cards sliding every which way. “The most important part of this debate is that  _ Draco _ is in both couples-”

She was looking at Jaeun again, who was giggling, nodding quickly in agreement.

“Right, right,” the girl added quickly. “He’s  _ clearly _ the hottest one of all. The Tom Felton version, though.”

“Absolutely,” Yuri turned back to face the guys, who looked highly amused by both of them. “Tom Felton is the  _ reason  _ Draco’s hot.”

Chan and Jisung were snorting under their breaths, the older reaching out to fix their playing cards before glancing around at them.

“You guys wanna keep playing?”

After all their other games they’d been playing throughout the night, they’d finally settled on “ _ Slapjack _ ” which Chan had taught to them, and had been simple enough for them to follow; split the deck into fours, keep flipping cards until you get a jack, whoever slaps the jack first gets the cards.

Jisung was beating everyone’s ass- he was just so  _ fast _ \- Yuri kicking him in the leg everytime he did a victory dance, all of them busting out laughing.

They only had one jack left- and they exchanged, playful, narrow-eyed looks before they were flipping their cards one at a time, always tensing and then sighing when it wasn’t a jack. But then Jaeun flipped her card, and Yuri barely saw the  _ J _ in the corner before Chan was slapping his hand down just milliseconds before Jisung, crying out in excitement as he slid the cards towards himself.

“I still won!” Jisung exclaimed with a laugh, Chan scooping up the cards and grinning over at Jaeun.

“We should get snacks, don’t you think?”

She giggled, looking cute as she nodded quickly.

“Yes,  _ yes _ !”

“ _ O _ kay!”

Chan was jumping from the mattress, the cards in complete disarray as Jisung and Yuri watched, Jaeun quickly climbing off the bed as well.

“Do you guys want anything?” he asked, eyes darting between the two of them. “I was just gonna walk to the convenience store up the street.”

Jisung and Yuri both shook their heads in unison, and after the two waved goodbye- still red in the face, giggling as they looked at one another- it was quiet, the dorm door shutting with a soft click behind Jaeun and Chan.

Then Yuri was turning to Jisung, identical, shit-eating grins on their faces.

“They’re not coming back anytime soon…” she said slowly. “Are they?”

“Nope,” Jisung replied, both of them busting out laughing.

They’d been joking of course- maybe Chan and Jaeun would surprise them, and walk back into the dorm right away- but when an  _ hour  _ passed by, and the two  _ still _ hadn’t showed up, Yuri realized she and Jisung were absolutely right.

Chan and Jaeun were gonna be a while.

Of course, it wasn’t a big deal for the two of them to be alone; that was how they spent most of their time together.

They talked some more, drank some more, and  _ laughed _ some more, the two of them eventually pushing the cards off the mattress, setting them to the side so they could stretch their legs out and lean against the wall.

She was still feeling fuzzy,  _ content _ , as she and Jisung sat together, bottles resting in their laps. He looked just as relaxed, his smile more lazy and his actions a little more lethargic as they rolled from one conversation to the next, kicking their feet at one another.

“I’m so  _ nervous _ about this Sehun date,” Yuri admitted, flopping rather hard against the wall behind her as Jisung rolled his head to look at her, chuckling softly.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he waved his hand dismissively at her with a one-sided grin. “You’re super awesome, and that’s why he asked you out; just, you know, be yourself.”

The compliment was flattering, and she giggled again before sighing heavily, biting hard on her bottom lip.

“It’s not so much the  _ date _ , I just…” she hesitated, Jisung’s eyes darting up to meet her face, but she hadn’t been able to see what he was looking at; too drunk. “I think I’ve like,  _ forgotten _ all the physical stuff…”

Jisung tilted his head into an upright position, a teasing grin on his face.

“Is  _ that  _ what you’re going for with this guy?”

“What?” Yuri was laughing again, crossing her legs in front of her. “ _ No _ ! I mean, Sehun’s hot, but…”

She shrugged a little, glancing down at her drink.

“It’s been like, a  _ while _ since I kissed a guy,” she admitted, smiling bashfully. “Like… since Jungkook.”

“I mean, whatever, don’t feel bad,” Jisung told her quickly, raising his bottle to his lips. “I haven’t since Stacy at that party my mom let me have right before graduation-”

“Oh my  _ gosh _ ,” Yuri watched him take another drink as she smirked. “I  _ totally _ forgot about that.”

He laughed a little into the drink before putting it back in his lap.

“That’s still a  _ lot _ sooner than me,” Yuri continued, exhaling heavily. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

The world was still spinning just a little, and her thoughts weren’t as straight as they usually were, but that didn’t keep her from being any less  _ nervous _ about this whole date thing. 

Sehun, well, he was  _ gorgeous, _ and she was  _ sure _ he had kissed a girl way more recently than  _ she _ had kissed a  _ guy _ . What if he kissed her at the end of this date and she messed it up or something? Yuri thought- considering Sehun was not only beautiful, but  _ older _ \- that most of the girls he probably went out with were much more experienced than herself.

What if she was completely disappointing?

“You know what would be  _ really _ cool?” she asked, Jisung raising his eyebrows at her in question. “If I could  _ practice _ , you know? Like riding a bike or even  _ writing _ ; you’re not just automatically amazing at that stuff! It takes  _ time _ , and a lot of trial and error!”

Jisung was laughing again, adjusting on the mattress as he looked at her.

“I mean, I guess that’s  _ true _ ,” he admitted, cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol.

Yuri remembered when she’d started dating Jungkook, and how the first couple times they’d messed around, it hadn’t been quite as dreamy and amazing as she’d imagined. But they were younger, and he was a  _ freshman _ , so it hadn’t made her as nervous, trying again until it got better.

And after a few weeks, everything  _ did _ get better, because  _ they _ got better, and she’d always wished they could have skipped that awkward beginning part.

She was feeling the same way  _ now _ ; she was sure Sehun probably wouldn’t even  _ have _ an awkward phase- it’d just be her.

“I wish there was a way to practice  _ this _ ,” Yuri continued, turning completely on the bed to face her best friend. “Like, you know those  _ stupid _ pornos where there’s those two girls that are friends and they makeout and stuff and then they’re just like ‘ _ Don’t worry, we’re best friends, it’s just practice! _ ’?”

She laughed at the ridiculousness of it, but Jisung feigned offense when he looked at her again.

“Hey,” he said, trying and failing to sound serious. “Those are  _ not _ stupid.”

Yuri snorted and Jisung started laughing before she was leaning over to slap him on the arm.

“Shut up!” she exclaimed. “But that would just, that would be  _ awesome _ . I don’t really wanna kiss a  _ girl _ -”

Yuri wrinkled her nose at the thought;  _ not  _ for her.

“-but just to have that person to like, practice the mechanics with…” in her mind, this idea was amazing; how come no one had thought of this before? “That way when it  _ matters _ , like  _ Sehun _ , I can just- I’ll be a freaking  _ expert _ .”

“An  _ expert _ ,” Jisung scoffed.

Then they were giggling again- it was so  _ bad _ when they were drunk- taking drinks together before he was looking at her again, rocking back and forth a little on the mattress.

“That  _ would _ be pretty cool,” he agreed, looking thoughtful. “Like, once I’m with Nari, I could blow her away… not that I think I  _ need _ any practice, but I mean, it wouldn’t hurt…”

Jisung was looking at her, still grinning a little as his eyes widened, telling Yuri he’d gotten a sudden,  _ brilliant _ idea.

“What?” she asked with a small laugh.

“Well…” he hesitated, a mischievous smile on his face as he spoke. “ _ We’re _ best friends…”

There was a pause as he took another drink, and Yuri was still feeling a little dizzy, watching Jisung tip his head back.

“Us?” she asked lamely. “Like  _ we _ should practice?”

She was considering it; honestly, the idea was  _ genius _ . Yuri found herself wondering why she hadn’t thought of this before  _ now _ . Jisung wasn’t ugly or anything- she could tell why so many girls liked him- and they were totally  _ comfortable _ with each other! They could literally talk about anything…

Who was a better candidate than  _ him _ ?

“If you want…” he was laughing again, a silly one as he took the drink from his lips. “I mean, I guess I’m not a  _ girl _ but-”

He was teasing, and Yuri giggled, face scrunched in disgust as she shook her head back and forth.

“That honestly makes it better.”

Yuri took a quick drink, her heart beating a little faster in her chest before her eyes were meeting Jisung’s, both of them letting out identical, nervous chuckles.

“Should we?” 

She was feeling a little  _ excited _ ; what a brilliant arrangement they should’ve done  _ long  _ before college. 

It really would’ve helped her out with Jungkook.

“Are you sure you’re good enough of a kisser to  _ teach _ someone?” Yuri added as an afterthought, Jisung taking one more drink before he was twisting the cap on his bottle, setting it to the side.

“I have more experience than  _ you _ , so-”

He was joking again, and she slapped him on the leg just as he was turning on the mattress to face her. Then she was setting her drink behind her, right next to her phone on the plastic set of drawers before facing forward again.

Yuri looked at Jisung, sitting across from her on the small bed, taking in the messy hair, black t-shirt, familiar features of his face, and the slight, hesitant grin.

_ He’s kind of handsome _

She could do this; if they could pull this off, it would be the  _ perfect _ arrangement for future endeavors. In the hazy, alcohol-clouds of her mind, the idea was a solid one; they just had to  _ do it _ .

“Okay, well,” she waved both hands between them. “Show me how to sweep Sehun off his feet.”

Jisung laughed at that, scooting forward until his knees were pressed against hers, Yuri jumping a little at the touch.

_ Don’t be so nervous _

“Uh…  _ well _ …”

He sounded nervous too, his eyes darting along the features of her face, a little closer as Yuri could feel her heart rate picking up again, swallowing around the slight lump in her throat.

“...so he might do something like  _ this _ -”

Then Jisung hesitated for only a moment before reaching forward, fingers brushing gently through the strands of her hair before tucking them behind her ear, leaning even closer with the movement.

It sent a small shiver down her spine, but she knew she was just sensitive right now, nerves on edge with the fear of something new like this.

“Okay…” she said quietly, their eyes meeting again.

“If he’s making the move, he’s gonna move closer-”

Jisung’s voice was lower, his fingers still lingering in her hair as his face got closer to her own.

“-you’ll want to lean in too, so he knows you want it, but not all the way…”

Yuri knew somewhere in her brain, she was teasing Jisung, telling him this wasn’t her  _ first time _ or anything, she just needed a refresher, but he talked too quickly for her to form the words.

“You’ll wanna wait for him to come to you…”

“Why do I have to wait for  _ him _ ?”

She found her voice this time, but it was so much quieter than usual; it felt weird talking at normal volume right now.

His face was close enough that, when he chuckled, his warm breath hit her lips, and she felt a weird  _ jolt _ in her chest at that, goosebumps spreading quickly across her skin.

“Because he’s trying to make a move,” Jisung all but whispered. “You can’t be full steam ahead like you usually are.”

He was teasing- just like always- but Yuri could hear the slight tremor in his voice, and he was too close now, for her to see the trademark smirk on his face.

Yuri leaned in anyway, just  _ slightly _ as he instructed,  _ tense _ with anticipation. Her body, it was so  _ warm _ from all the alcohol, and her eyes were slipping closed before she could help it, fiddling with her fingers clasped together in her lap.

Jisung was just inches from her now, and she found it hard to breathe, heart slamming against the walls of her chest before he was speaking again.

“He might start out like  _ this- _ ”

He pressed his lips against hers in a peck that was so quick, she barely had time to register anything before he was pulling back.

“-and he’ll do that a couple times, but then you’ll wanna turn your head, ‘cause that makes it better…”

Yuri knew- that was her favorite part- and she was listening to Jisung again, eyes opening for only a moment so she could turn her head in the opposite way he was. She got a glimpse of his face, his own eyes still closed, face  _ close _ , and she felt her stomach twist into a tight knot at the sight of it.

Why did Jisung look…  _ sexy _ ?

Ignoring that thought entirely, Yuri drunkenly decided this whole “waiting for the guy” thing was silly- was Sehun going to make the first move every time?- so she leaned forward, pressing her lips against Jisung’s.

He hummed in slight surprise at the move, and she felt his fingers shift a little in her hair, the tips scraping against her neck and making her shiver again. 

It was slow,  _ really _ slow, but Yuri’s lips were moving on their own accord against his, barely thinking about the mechanics as she could hear nothing but her heart still  _ pounding _ in her ears. The knots in her stomach were tightening, but  _ pleasantly _ and she was too drunk to think too hard about it as she felt Jisung’s hand slide up to cup her face in his palm.

Yuri’s body was a lot warmer than it had been just moments ago, and she felt a little breathless, unsure what to make of it, still moving her lips against his because she wasn’t sure if she could  _ stop _ -

_ Why is this so hot? _

It was supposed to be mechanical practice- a way for her to improve herself- but instead, Yuri felt like she was melting where she sat, letting Jisung take the lead for a second, unable to wrap her muddled brain around the fact that this  _ was _ Jisung.

Yuri felt his hand leave her face, sliding along her shoulder and down the length of her arm before he was grabbing her wrist, both of them breaking the kiss at the same time.

“You have to touch too-”

He was speaking lowly against her lips and Yuri held in a gasp, because  _ holy crap _ , she couldn’t think straight, why did that make her feel like she couldn’t  _ breathe _ ?

“-that’s always hot when girls do that.”

Jisung sounded a little breathless, and Yuri felt shaky, letting him place her hand on his shoulder. Her fingers were curling into the skin there before she was leaning forward, closing the distance again and pressing her lips against his.

It was hard to keep everything in perspective- this is for practice, this is her best friend, this is  _ Jisung _ \- when her entire body felt like it was on  _ fire _ , nerves tingling with something she couldn’t put her finger on, the alcohol letting her take a lot more action and forget about the  _ thinking _ part.

She reached for his other shoulder before Yuri’s hands were sliding down his arms- the arms that had changed so  _ much _ over the summer- feeling the muscles there. 

It was all so familiar- his fresh cut grass scent, the sound of his voice, his always-smooth skin she normally hated him for- but then again, it wasn’t at  _ all _ , a weird, magnetic  _ charge _ beneath her fingers as she touched him, like he was someone else entirely.

“Can I touch your hair, too?”

Her voice was hardly recognizable- all breathy and soft- and the question seemed kind of silly; didn’t she touch Jisung’s hair all the time?

But Yuri was technically there to  _ learn _ .

“You can do whatever you want, now.”

Even if it  _ felt _ like someone different, there was no mistaking Jisung’s voice as he spoke the words against her lips again, Yuri’s throat tightening at just how  _ sexy _ he sounded.

_ What the hell, what the hell- _

She couldn’t think straight, her fingers sliding into the hair she knew so well- that she  _ loved _ \- a sound catching in Jisung’s throat as she curled her fingers, gripping it just a little. Then her other hand was coming up to run through the strands too, and Jisung was leaning back a little with the movement, Yuri having to lean forward to keep the rhythm of their lips.

She was on pure instinct right now, their kiss deepening, Jisung’s hand resting on the spot just above her knee, fingers twitching a little against her skin, the other sliding down her side, making her toes curl.

She jumped when she felt Jisung’s tongue slide tentatively along her bottom lip, a small gasp slipping from her throat before she could help it because-  _ holy shit _ , her heart was going to fly right out of her chest-

“Do you remember how to make out?”

His voice, it was so  _ different _ but still Jisung, tight and breathy at the same time, leaning closer as his hand on her leg moved just  _ slightly _ upward, her stomach twisting pleasantly again.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, her lips brushing against his as she spoke. “But I should probably still practice…”

Yuri wasn’t one hundred percent sure where those words were even coming from, but she didn’t have time to think about it before Jisung was pressing his open mouth against hers again, stealing the air right from her lungs as his tongue gently met her own.

It was all so sensual-  _ intense _ \- and his familiar touch somehow made it better, which Yuri couldn’t really wrap her head around either. But it was easier, to be bolder, let her hands run down his arms again, nails scraping into the skin there, and it was  _ choking _ her, when he was humming again in obvious pleasure at her actions.

The rhythm of their kiss was a little quicker, much deeper, and  _ passionate _ , which had Yuri’s chest clenching with an emotion she just couldn’t comprehend right now, with her mind in a hazy cloud of lust and alcohol. 

It was hard not to lose herself in it, when she had so little self-control; letting her body take the lead as Jisung’s hand on her side was moving slowly up and down again, scratching through the fabric, making her kind of wish she didn’t have the shirt in the way-

Then she was pulling back for air, and she remembered something she’d tried with Jungkook, not thinking any harder than that before she was biting very gently on Jisung’s bottom lip, his breath hitching before she was letting go, that sound doing  _ something _ to her-

“That’s good,” he told her breathlessly, his fingers tightening around her leg.

She felt a little triumphant- so she  _ was _ good- hurriedly pressing her lips back to Jisung’s, his fingers gripping the fabric of her shirt now, her hands resting on his shoulders, one sliding up into his hair again, the thick strands sifting easily through her fingers-

All her senses were heightened, mind numbed to all rational thought, Yuri nothing but touch, feeling, and  _ exploration _ , the way Jisung was kissing her again- their lips moving in a perfect rhythm- leaving her restlessly on edge-  _ tense _ in the best of ways- wanting  _ more _ of him-

There was a loud, echoing  _ buzz _ that made Yuri jump so hard she yelped, pulling away just as Jisung was doing the same.

Yuri could hear a dull ringing in her ears as she stared at Jisung- all messy hair and sideways shirt- still trying to catch her breath, lips still tingling from their kiss-

“Uh-”

He was scratching the back of his head, eyes wide as saucers as he scooted a little farther back. 

“I think you’re- you’re all set-”

His voice was still a little strained, and Yuri was nodding one too many times, swallowing hard around the heat still hovering in her throat.

“Yeah,” she breathed, reaching blindly behind her for her phone. “Yeah I- that was good-”

She didn’t have time to think about how that sounded; it  _ was _ good, but that wasn’t what she meant, didn’t want to think about how  _ good _ it really was-

They both jumped again, finally tearing their eyes from one another when they heard the beeps of a passcode being typed into the door. She saw Jisung fixing his shirt out of the corner of her eye, and Yuri quickly did the same, heart hammering almost painfully in her chest.

“Hey guys!”

Chan’s loud exclamation was almost jarring as he waved at both of them, slightly stumbly as he closed the door behind him.

“Hey,” Jisung still sounded a little off, but much more normal than before as he waved back at Chan.

“Where’s Jaeun?” Yuri asked, realizing her roommate wasn’t there.

“Oh, well, we-” Chan was stuttering a little, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled guiltily. “She’s back at your dorm, actually. We stopped by there… and got  _ distracted _ …”

He trailed off for a moment before continuing.

“Anyway, she fell asleep and I tried to wake her up but she wouldn’t budge,” he explained quickly. “I left her a note though… didn’t want to get her in trouble if the RA popped by…”

Yuri was temporarily sidetracked, already grinning as she turned to look at Jisung so they could exchange a knowing look like they always did.

But when she turned to look at him, her stomach was flipping again, noting the strands of hair still out of place- from  _ her _ \- and the slight flush on his cheeks, her own face still feeling pretty warm. His eyes were meeting hers, looking at her like she was someone else- not  _ Yuri _ \- and she swallowed hard, scrambling quickly from the bed.

“ _ Ah _ , well-”

She was still gripping her phone tightly in her hands, glancing at the screen to see why her phone had buzzed; a new episode of her favorite webtoon had been released.

“-I should go check on her, you know. Make sure she’s okay-”

Yuri couldn’t look at Jisung again- not right now- feeling very  _ sober _ all the sudden, as she stuffed her phone in her back pocket.

“Alright, yeah,” Chan was nodding, sounding slightly confused as he looked between the two of them.

She wasn’t sure what her face looked like, but she could feel how wide her eyes were still, her hands a little shaky as she grabbed her purse off the floor by Jisung’s bed.

“Thanks for the drinks, Channie,” she said, forcing herself to smile as she pulled the bag hastily onto her shoulder. “You’re amazing.”

He smiled back at her, still looking slightly uneasy before his eyes were darting back to Jisung.

“Bye Sungie!”

Yuri didn’t wanna cause any more suspicion- what the hell would she even  _ tell _ Chan, if he asked?- trying to sound completely normal as she made her way quickly to the door. 

“Bye Yuri.”

He  _ still _ didn’t sound right, and it made her chest clench almost painfully, as she turned the knob, practically tripping out of their dorm room in her hurry to get out.

Yuri took a deep, trembling breath as she felt the first burn of tears in the corners of her eyes.

“ _ Shit _ ,” she whispered, gripping hard to the railing as she walked carefully down the stairs, her mind still  _ buzzing _ from a few moments ago.

_ What the hell just happened? _


	10. Chapter 10

“Oh. My.  _ God _ .”

Jiae almost dropped the notebook, gaze snapping up to her grandmother who was already laughing.

“Grandma!” she exclaimed, giggling a little. “Why didn’t you warn me?!”

“I  _ told _ you we were getting to the good stuff,” she replied, eyes shining with amusement. “I couldn’t warn you, honey, that takes away the fun!”

Jiae’s eyes were still wide as she stared back at the pages.

“They actually  _ kissed _ …” she breathed. “And they  _ liked _ it…”

“Yes,” the older confirmed.

“But…” she pressed her lips together, smile fading a little. “Things are about to get complicated… aren’t they?”

“ _ Yes _ …” Grandma Kim repeated with a sigh. 

Jiae turned the worn pages of the notebook-  _ Jisung’s _ handwriting- glancing at her grandmother. The older was waiting patiently for her to continue, and after taking a deep breath, she began.

“ _ I didn’t sleep well that night. _

_ I didn’t know what to make of it- kissing Yuri like that; it was hard for me to believe I had kissed her at  _ all _.  _

_ I’d been up all night, fighting with myself. My heartbeat wouldn’t slow down enough for me to sleep, my mind was running in quick, repetitive circles, and I just kept thinking about what had just happened.  _

_ I wondered why it’d been so…  _ amazing _ ; maybe one of the best kisses I’d ever had. _

_ But it was  _ Yuri _ ; my best friend, my  _ nothing more _ \- just like we’d always told people- and I’d been completely and utterly  _ confused _. _

_ I eventually dozed off, but when I woke up the next morning, I was still feeling a little off, and had no idea what I was going to do about it… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Sunday October 28, 2018_ **

Jisung sat across from Chan at the coffee shop up the road from campus, squinting a little at the sun shining brightly through the window.

“Dude… I gotta tell you something.”

Chan was fidgeting a little in his seat, both hands wrapped around his hot coffee with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“What is it?”

Honestly, Jisung was ready for any kind of distraction right now.

All night, he’d been tossing and turning, and his body was tired- both from the alcohol and the complete lack of sleep.

What the hell  _ happened  _ last night?

“So… Jaeun and I,” Chan lowered his voice a little, leaning forward a bit. “Well… I kinda got laid last night.”

Well  _ that _ was certainly enough to sidetrack Jisung, if only for a moment.

“Really?” he asked, his eyes growing wide as Chan chuckled across from him.

“Yeah, we…” he hesitated, taking another drink before shaking his head. “I don’t want to get into all the details, but we stopped by her dorm ‘cause she’d bought some extra ramen and wanted to drop it off there and then we got sidetracked… one thing led to another, and then…”

Chan took another drink of coffee, but Jisung really didn’t need him to elaborate.

That would explain why they’d both been gone for so long.

He cringed at the thoughts, chest stuttering a little as his mind took him back to last night, like it’d been doing almost every hour since it happened. 

_ “Well…” Jisung hesitated, grinning at his own brilliant idea. “ _ We’re _ best friends…” _

_ He paused to take another drink, and he could feel Yuri watching him with wide eyes, just as shocked as he was by his own words. _

_ “Us?” she asked lamely. “Like we should practice?” _

_ “If you want…” he laughed a little, because honestly, it was a  _ solid _ plan. “I mean, I guess I’m not a girl but-” _

_ He was teasing, wondering if this could work and maybe he could improve his skills a little bit; he had a feeling Nari probably had more experience than he did. _

_ Yuri giggled, face scrunched in disgust as she shook her head back and forth. _

_ “That honestly makes it better.” _

He resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands, hurriedly taking a sip of his own coffee as he felt his cheeks burn a little.

Why had he come up with that idea in the first place? What had he been  _ thinking _ ?

Did he  _ want _ to kiss Yuri?

_ Don’t be stupid, of course not, _ he thought to himself quickly, scowling a little.  _ You’ve never liked Yuri like that _

Jisung was lowering the coffee from his lips before Chan was speaking again.

“Yeah, I felt bad actually, leaving her behind like that,” he admitted, ears just the faintest of pinks as he stared down at his hands still resting on the table. “Like I thought about just spending the night- Yuri could just crash on my bed- but I thought we might get in trouble… so…” 

He nodded at Chan’s words, knowing that Minha might be chill, but she wasn’t  _ that _ chill; he and Jaeun were sure to get into some serious trouble if they were caught.

They fell into a companionable silence once more and Jisung felt  _ edgy _ \- grip tight around his coffee as his mind wandered once more.

_ Jisung took his hand from Yuri’s face, sliding along the silky skin of her shoulder- had she always been this soft?- before moving down the length of her arm and grabbing her wrist, both of them breaking the kiss at the same time. _

_ “You have to touch too-” _

_ He was speaking lowly against her lips, and it was a little hard for him to  _ breathe _ , his body tight with pleasurable tension. _

_ “-that’s always hot when girls do that.” _

_ Jisung wasn’t sure why he was telling her that- he supposed she  _ was _ trying to learn- but his skin went hot where her fingers were curling into his shoulder before she was leaning forward, closing the distance again and pressing her lips against his, stealing the air right from his lungs- _

He shook his head sharply, squeezing his eyes shut for just a moment as he fidgeted a little in his seat. His stomach was still twisted up- just like it’d been last night- and he could feel his heart racing in his chest, like he was  _ nervous _ .

“So, what’d you and Yuri do while we were gone?” Chan asked.

“What?” Jisung’s answer was a little jumpy as his eyes darted to his roommate’s face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we were gone for like, an  _ hour _ …” Chan looked amused, chuckling slightly. “Did you guys keep playing Slapjack or…”

Jisung bit his bottom lip, jumping just slightly at the sensation.

_ Yuri was pulling back for air, and Jisung inhaled shakily before she was leaning forward again, biting very gently on his bottom lip. His breath hitched at the feel of it, the sensation sending a jolt through his entire system- _

_ “That’s good,” he told her breathlessly, his fingers tightening around her leg before he could help it. _

_ It  _ was _ good-  _ more  _ than good- Yuri pressing her lips against his again as he gripped the fabric of her shirt now. Her hands were resting on his shoulders, one sliding up into his hair again, as he shivered at the feeling- _

“It kind of felt like I was interrupting something.”

Jisung shook his head again, letting out a sharp, nervous laugh.

“What?” he repeated, trying to sound nonchalant. “Nah- we just… we were just talking. You know, the usual.”

He shrugged for good measure, avoiding Chan’s eyes as he picked at the plastic lid of his coffee cup.

It was one thing for Jisung to have kissed Yuri in the first place and to keep having these weird, overly detailed flashbacks about it, but the fact that he’d  _ enjoyed _ it? The fact that when he thought about it, his whole body felt  _ odd _ , like he was just  _ electrocuted _ or something…

Well, it was freaking him the hell out.

“Cool, cool.”

Jisung couldn’t tell if Chan believed him all the way or not, so he fished his phone out of his front pocket to keep avoiding his roommate’s eyes, unlocking the screen and immediately clicking on the text app.

Maybe it was the heat of the moment; maybe it was because it’d been a long time since Jisung had  _ kissed _ a girl before. He’d been  _ really _ drunk- drunker than he’d ever been- and maybe his inhibitions were too low for him to process his emotions correctly.

_ Maybe I should just text her _

It was weird, really, sitting there with his thumb hovering over her name, wondering whether he should see how she’s doing or not. When had he  _ ever  _ hesitated on texting Yuri? Under normal circumstances, he and Yuri would’ve already been blowing each other up by now, her sending him silly pictures of the suffering of a hangover and him inviting her to come with him and Chan to get coffee…

But it was one o’clock in the afternoon and his phone had been completely silent.

“Have you heard from Nari?”

Jisung glanced up at the girl’s name, Chan turning his head slightly to the side, looking curious.

“Uh...”

He realized this was the first time he had noticed; he  _ hadn’t _ heard from Nari.

“ _ No _ , actually.”

“Huh. Weird.”

Chan’s response was vague before he was taking another sip of coffee, Jisung’s eyes moving back to his phone screen.

**_1:04pm_ **

Jisung closed out of the text app, ignoring the tightening twist of his stomach as he stuffed the phone hastily back into his pocket.

He’d just remembered…

Yuri was on her date with Sehun.

* * *

* * *

“Holy crap, I forgot about that.”

Jiae looked up with wide eyes, watching her Grandma rock back and forth in her chair.

“She’s not gonna go is she?”

“Why not?” her grandmother asked simply. 

“Because she-” Jiae was struggling for words. “I mean, her and Jisung, they-”

But she supposed things didn’t just happen overnight like she wanted them to

“Ugh.”

Jiae sighed in dramatic frustration, listening to Grandma Kim chuckle before she was turning the pages, Yuri’s handwriting now filling the lines.

“ _ After I’d gotten back to my dorm that night, I’d checked on Jaeun to make sure she was alright- which she was- before collapsing into my own bed, staring up at the ceiling. _

_ I’d been in and out of sleep, tossing and turning on the bed- too hot, then too cold- while Jisung’s breathless voice seemed to echo in my head, sending an odd,  _ humming _ feeling throughout my entire body. _

_ When I’d finally crawled out from beneath the covers and Jaeun got up with me, we shuffled our way to the cafe for some much needed coffee and hangover ramen.  _

_ There, she’d told me all about her night with Chan; how romantic it had been and how much Jaeun liked him even more. I’d been distracted for those brief moments, giggling at the stars in my roommate’s eyes and wondering how Chan must’ve looked, when he told the same story to Jisung. _

_ After washing up and  _ waking _ up, Jaeun told me she would help me get ready for my date with Sehun, and I was ashamed she’d even had to remind me. _

_ I’d almost forgotten.” _

* * *

* * *

Yuri stared at the screen of her phone before sighing quietly, placing it facedown on the desk in front of her.

She still hadn’t texted Jisung.

Jaeun was curling her hair again, the two of them pretty quiet as Yuri’s eyes glazed over, mind a million miles away.

_ “You know what would be really cool?” she asked, Jisung raising his eyebrows at her in question. “If I could practice, you know? Like riding a bike or even writing; you’re not just automatically amazing at that stuff! It takes time, and a lot of trial and error!” _

_ Jisung was laughing again, adjusting aon the mattress as he looked at her. _

_ “I mean, I guess that’s true,” he admitted, cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol. _

_ “I wish there was a way to practice  _ this _ ,” Yuri continued, turning completely on the bed to face her best friend. “Like, you know those stupid pornos where there’s those two girls that are friends and they makeout and stuff and then they’re just like ‘Don’t worry, we’re best friends, it’s just practice!’?” _

Ugh.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, watching Jaeun press her lips together as she concentrated on separating the strands of Yuri’s hair.

What had she been  _ thinking _ ?

At the time- in her drunken state of mind- kissing someone for practice really  _ had _ sounded like a great idea. Increasing her experience, giving her some pointers, perfecting the movements so they weren’t that awkward by the time she made it to Sehun…

There hadn’t seen anything wrong with it.

She hadn’t anticipated a kiss with  _ Jisung _ \- her best friend, her partner in crime, the most reliable person in her life besides her own  _ family _ …

And  _ liking _ it.

_ Yuri leaned forward, pressing her lips against Jisung’s. _

_ He hummed in slight surprise at the move, and she felt his fingers shift a little in her hair, the tips scraping against her neck and making her shiver again.  _

_ It was slow,  _ really  _ slow, but Yuri’s lips were moving on their own accord against his, barely thinking about the mechanics as she could hear nothing but her heart still pounding in her ears. The knots in her stomach were tightening, but pleasantly and she was too drunk to think too hard about it as she felt Jisung’s hand slide up to cup her face in his palm. _

_ Yuri’s body was a lot warmer than it had been just moments ago, and she felt a little breathless, unsure what to make of it, still moving her lips against his because she wasn’t sure if she could stop- _

Why is this so hot?

_ It was supposed to be mechanical practice- a way for her to improve herself- but instead, Yuri felt like she was melting where she sat, letting Jisung take the lead for a second, unable to wrap her muddled brain around the fact that this  _ was  _ Jisung- _

Yuri jolted at the sound of the curling iron clamping around the strands of her hair, and Jaeun immediately looked up, eyes wide with concern.

“Did I burn you?” she asked, moving to pull back.

“No, no, sorry,” Yuri replied quickly. “Just had a chill…”

Her roommate’s eyes roamed across her face for a moment- like she was trying to read her- but Yuri quickly looked away, swallowing nervously.

She thought maybe she shouldn’t drink again, if these were the kind of ideas she’d be coming up with while under the influence of alcohol. Because now, Yuri was just thirty minutes away from going on a date and her mind was muddled with thoughts about the  _ wrong guy _ -

“Are you okay?” Jaeun asked tentatively, unclamping the last pieces of her hair before meeting her eyes in the reflection. “You seem off…”

She could tell the girl was struggling between concern and wanting to give Yuri her space, and she appreciated that; Jaeun was too sweet.

“Oh, yeah! I just…” Yuri tried her best to smile as convincingly as she could. “I probably shouldn’t have had so much to drink. I’m tired… and a little nervous.”

“You look great,” her roommate reassured her, smiling brightly. “Seriously, Sehun’s gonna think you’re beautiful.”

“Thanks Jaeun.”

She was still smiling- a little more genuinely now- as she reached down to adjust her shirt, straightening the fabric on her sides.

_ Jisung was pressing his open mouth against hers again, stealing the air right from her lungs as his tongue gently met her own. _

_ It was all so sensual-  _ intense _ \- and his familiar touch somehow made it better, which Yuri couldn’t really wrap her head around either. But it was easier, to be bolder, let her hands run down his arms again, nails scraping into the skin there, and it was choking her, when he was humming again in obvious pleasure at her actions. _

_ The rhythm of their kiss was a little quicker, much deeper, and passionate, which had Yuri’s chest clenching with an emotion she just couldn’t comprehend right now, with her mind in a hazy cloud of lust and alcohol.  _

_ It was hard not to lose herself in it, when she had so little self-control; letting her body take the lead as Jisung’s hand on her side was moving slowly up and down again, scratching through the fabric and making her wish she kind of didn’t have the shirt in the way- _

Yuri quickly stood from her chair, heart hammering in her ears all over again as she desperately tried to shove away the memory. 

“I think I should head over, don’t you think?” she asked, speaking a little too quickly as her eyes darted around the room for her purse.

“I mean, sure, early is better than late…”

Jaeun sounded unsure, but Yuri couldn’t bring herself to look at her friend; she knew her burning cheeks would give her away, and she wasn’t sure she could come up with a believable enough lie to explain them.

And she couldn’t say the truth out loud.

She finally found her purse, pulling it quickly on her shoulder and taking a deep, calming breath.

_ You’re about to go on a date with Sehun. Get it together. _

When she was sure her expression was a little more relaxed, she turned to face Jaeun again, who was back to looking a little concerned, eyes darting up and down her figure.

“You’re…  _ sure _ you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Yuri nodded a little too enthusiastically, laughing a little; her nervous habit. “Like I said… just anxious.”

She took a couple more steps towards their door.

“But I think I’ll go now,” she said, still trying to sound normal. “Thank you so much… for helping me get ready. You’re amazing.”

“Anytime,” Jaeun replied with a grin.

With that, Yuri was opening the door, giving her roommate one last wave before walking swiftly down the hallway.

* * *

Yuri’s fingers were intertwined with Sehun’s, the two of them walking side by side on the grass, his eyes never leaving the tents spread out in a long row across the grounds.

When she’d met up with Sehun in the art building, she’d been nervous- nearly shaking- and had laughed a little too much for such simple conversation as they made their way towards the fair. But he’d seemed fine, not saying much as she anxiously filled the silence, talking about everything from her midterms to her favorite art pieces she’d hastily looked up online while waiting for him to arrive.

When they’d made it to the fair, he’d talked a little more when she asked him questions, telling her the displays he admired the most and talking to her about what tools were used to create it. It was educational- Sehun knew so  _ much _ about art- and at first, it’d been rather interesting, listening to him talk in that rich, warm voice he had, so quiet she had to lean a little closer sometimes, to hear him over the chatter of the students around them.

She’d been able to shake last night’s events from her head for the most part, focusing on the fair, and the sun, and the moment when Sehun reached out to grab her hand so  _ casually _ , never letting go. Yuri found her own favorites at each of the tents, and waved at some of the students she recognized from her classes.

After a while, she’d started asking Sehun about  _ other _ things, wanting to get to know him more. How long had he been into art? When did he get his dogs? What was his family like? Did he have any hobbies outside of drawing? What was his favorite movie? If he could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Yuri discovered very quickly that Sehun wasn’t just quiet in class- he was quiet  _ all the time _ \- and if he wasn’t talking about art or his dogs, he wasn’t saying much at all. His answers were short- concise- enough to give her the information she’d requested without an inch of elaboration, and she’d started running out of questions rather quickly. 

She felt even weirder when he didn’t always ask her what  _ her _ answer was- only sometimes- making her feel like he almost didn’t  _ care _ . But Sehun was always nonchalant; even when he talked about art, his voice was low, casual, and relaxed, the brightness in his eyes the only thing that gave him away, so Yuri tried not to take offense.

Halfway through the lineup of tents, they’d stopped at a cafe area, and Sehun bought her a drink. The two of them sipped on iced coffees together before making their way through the rest of the fair, Yuri asking questions, Sehun giving brief answers, and the two of them enjoying the beautiful, October weather.

But if Yuri was being honest, there was only so much question-asking she could do, and while the art was cool to look at, she was feeling slightly restless.

Slightly  _ bored _ .

“Look!” she pointed up ahead, squeezing Sehun’s hand on impulse. “There’s Pop-art!”

Yuri saw Sehun grin before nodding, not saying anything else as they approached the tent. 

She felt a little more lively, looking at all the different pictures of some of her favorite superheroes- Batman, Superman, Nightwing, Black Widow, The Flash, Captain Marvel, Iron Man…

And right there in the front, on an oversized canvas, was  _ Wonder Woman _ , Yuri gasping as soon as she saw it.

“Oh my gosh,” she breathed, turning to look at Sehun as they walked closer. “Look at how awesome this is!”

“Yeah,” Sehun said with a chuckle.

Yuri was thinking how much Jisung would  _ love _ this, if he was here. He’d been in love with Wonder Woman for as long as she’d known him; fierce, bold, and beautiful, she was Jisung’s perfect woman, as he so often told her. She giggled to herself, imagining his wide eyed face and mouth dropping open before asking the girl at the tent how much it was, probably charming the pants off of her as he usually did.

But thoughts of her best friend were tainted now, and like a drop of ink on damp paper, her mind was twisting back to last night, with Jisung’s hands gently caressing her skin and the feel of his lips moving slowly against hers-

Quickly, she took a large sip of her coffee, thinking caffeine was probably the  _ opposite _ solution to slowing down her heart, but too nervous to think it through in time.

_ Shit _

Sehun noticed nothing, pensively staring at the Wonder Woman piece, looking mildly interested.

“Have you seen the movie?” she asked, hoping to veer her brain out of  _ dangerous _ territory. “It’s  _ so _ good-”

She remembered how incredibly  _ excited _ she’d been to see it, and how much she’d loved every bit of it, telling Jisung that might be the best superhero movie she’s ever seen. 

_ Stop thinking about Jisung _

“Uh, no,” he told her, eyes darting from the picture to meet hers. “I haven’t gotten around to it.”

To be honest, it didn’t sound like Sehun had much interest in seeing it at all, but Yuri tried to remind herself once again that he never sounded like he had much interest in doing  _ anything _ ; that was just his voice.

They walked further and the spark of  _ excitement _ she’d felt just moments ago started to fizzle out, Yuri slipping back into the slow rhythm of  _ Sehun _ ; calm, collected and complacent.

_ Maybe I should learn to enjoy the peace _ , she told herself.

_ “Why do I have to wait for him?” _

_ Yuri found her voice this time, but it was so much quieter than usual; it felt weird talking at normal volume right now. _

_ Jisung’s face was close enough that, when he chuckled, his warm breath hit her lips, and she felt a weird jolt in her chest at that, goosebumps spreading quickly across her skin. _

_ “Because he’s trying to make a move,” he all but whispered. “You can’t be full steam ahead like you usually are.” _

Her stomach flipped harshly, and Yuri cleared her throat, taking the straw of her drink between her teeth as she tried to breathe properly before glancing at Sehun.

He was still staring straight ahead, still  _ handsome _ \- so good-looking he almost didn’t seem  _ real _ \- and he met her eyes, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“So-” she wanted to get back to Sehun- back to her  _ date _ \- quickly scrambling in her brain for something to say. “Are your dogs the only pets you’ve ever had?”

The next ten minutes they walked together,  _ Sehun _ filled most of the silence- with prompting from Yuri of course- telling her about the pets he’d had, when he’d had them, and what their names were. It wasn’t long before they were making their way to a tent that was- ironically-  _ filled _ with pictures of animals, Yuri giggling before turning to look up at him.

“When you become famous, I bet you’ll have all your stuff displayed to buy, just like this place,” she told him happily, fingers tightening around his. “Only it’ll be somewhere cooler, like an art exhibit in New York or something, and people will come from all over the world just to buy a picture of  _ Monsieur _ .”

Sehun glanced over at her, smiling and laughing a little before his eyes were back on the pieces surrounding them, admiring without another word.

_ “I hope one day my books will be displayed in the front window like these ones,” Yuri said quietly, imagining her- a famous  _ writer _ \- setting the books up herself, signing copies for some of her beloved fans. _

_ Jisung glanced at Yuri for a moment as she took a drink before smiling, his eyes wandering back to the display window, speaking softly. _

_ “I hope they are too.” _

Yuri took the last drink of her iced coffee before throwing it a little harder than necessary in the trash can next to her. She cringed at the loud  _ clunk _ it made as the cup hit the bottom and hurriedly glanced at Sehun, a little embarrassed.

But as usual, he hadn’t noticed a thing.

* * *

It was a couple hours later that Yuri and Sehun found themselves at the front of her dorm building, his fingers still intertwined with her own.

She’d fought her corrupted brain the best she could throughout the rest of their date and had been mildly successful, Sehun letting her almost mindlessly hold the conversation as they walked together, laughing, smiling, or occasionally chiming in.

In a way, it’d been tranquil, being with someone so completely  _ chill _ and Yuri thought it might be good for her to take it easy every once in a while.

Not be so  _ full steam ahead _ .

“That was fun,” Yuri said, facing him now as he smiled down at her. “I didn’t know what to expect; I’ve never been to an art fair before.”

“They’re pretty cool,” Sehun agreed with a nod. “A lot of nice art this year.”

She was nodding too, unsure what to say as she shuffled back and forth just slightly.

But then Sehun was taking a step closer, reaching up with his free hand to tuck her hair slowly behind her ear. Yuri jumped a little at the contact, letting out a light, nervous laugh as she stared up at him, his eyes slowly coming back to meet her own. Then he was leaning forward, and Yuri felt her heart jump into her throat, knowing exactly what was coming.

_ “If he’s making the move, he’s gonna move closer-” _

_ Jisung’s voice was lower, his fingers still lingering in her hair as his face got closer to her own. _

_ “-you’ll want to lean in too, so he knows you want it, but not all the way…” _

Yuri ignored the way her chest clenched, at the memory of Jisung’s words, letting her eyes slip closed as she leaned in, but not all the way, just like he’d instructed.

And then Sehun’s lips were pressing gently against hers, a small, lingering,  _ chaste  _ kiss that was sweet and gentle, his fingers still lingering near her face before he was slowly pulling away, Yuri’s eyes fluttering open once more.

“I’ll see you in class on Tuesday,” Sehun’s voice was even quieter than usual as his hand slipped from hers, taking a small step back.

“Right,” she replied, smiling as she nodded one too many times. “Yeah. See you Tuesday.”

He didn’t wait for her to say anything else, giving her a small wave before he was turning around, Yuri staring at his retreating back.

Waiting.

She waited for the  _ rush _ ; for the sparks and the tingles, and the breath to leave her lungs from the kiss they’d shared. She waited for her cheeks to warm from the thought of his lips against her own and the butterflies to flutter excitedly in her stomach, because she’d just gone on a date with  _ Oh Sehun _ and he’d held her hand the entire time, and he’d  _ kissed _ her…

But it didn’t come.

Yuri looked down at her hand that’d been holding Sehun’s for the past few hours, the corners of her eyes prickling as she swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat.

Turning around, she made her way inside the dorm building, stuffing her shaky hands in her pockets. She walked quickly across the common areas, wondering what was wrong with her.

Since the school year had started, she’d been crushing on Sehun, and when he’d asked her to that art fair, she’d nearly fallen out of her chair. Yuri hadn’t been this excited about a guy in a long time, and other than the lull in conversation and her  _ runaway _ mind, the date had gone pretty well.

_ So where was the connection? _

Of course Yuri didn’t expect to share  _ true love’s kiss _ on their first date like a fairy tale or anything, but she thought she’d at least feel  _ something _ . 

Her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty stairwell as she made her way up the steps, chewing hard on her bottom lip.

_ Was I too distracted? _

Had she been in her head too much, too caught up in last night’s mistake to properly enjoy herself? Was Yuri too focused on having a good time and keeping Jisung out of her mind that she hadn’t left room for anything else?

She turned left down the hallway, stopping at her dorm door before quickly typing in the passcode. Listening to the familiar beep and the click of the lock, she entered the room, shoulders slumping a little when she realized it was empty and Jaeun must be with Chan.

Yuri was alone.

And it was those thoughts- that she’d just spent the last hours with her crush of three months on a  _ date _ and there was no one to tell about it. That he’d kissed her goodbye and she’d been too wrapped up in her own drama to enjoy it, that had her eyes filling slowly with tears.

For the first time in her life, Yuri couldn’t call Jisung.


	11. Chapter 11

Jiae lifted her eyes slowly, swallowing hard as she stared at her grandmother.

“I wanted her and Jisung together,” she said softly, glancing back at the pages for only a moment. “But I didn’t know…”

Jiae trailed off; she guessed she just hadn’t expected it to be so  _ sad _ .

Grandma Kim was frowning a little too, and they sat in sympathetic silence for a moment, Jiae slowly turning to the next entry.

“I wish they would talk,” Jiae finally muttered. “They  _ will _ , won’t they?”

Her grandmother was smiling gently again, her eyebrows raising ever-so-slightly.

“Do you  _ really  _ think they just stopped talking?”

Jiae felt a little better, laughing lightly with a shake of her head.

“I guess not,” she admitted.

“You know how to find out what happens next…”

Grandma Kim had her fingers folded in her lap again, and Jiae nodded, eyes on Yuri’s familiar writing that still filled the pages, continuing to read. 

“ _ I cried for a long time before Jaeun got home that night. _

_ It was therapeutic in a way, to get out all the emotions I was feeling; guilt, confusion, frustration, helplessness… I’d unknowingly opened a pandora’s box of things I had no idea how to deal with, and crying it out like that helped me put things into perspective.  _

_ I gave it a lot of thought as I sat alone in that dorm, and I’d come to the conclusion that I had been, indeed,  _ way _ too distracted.  _

_ When something as catastrophic as kissing your best friend happens, and the entire gravity of your life shifts for an instant, it’s not something you wake up from the next day and move on from. _

_ I needed time to process. _

_ And while I’d held the oversized stuffed cat Jisung had won for me years ago- he was a  _ master _ at the claw machine- I did just that; I  _ processed _. _

_ I came to the conclusion that I was more comfortable with Jisung, and so when I’d been drunk and caught up in the moment, I was able to just  _ feel _. It’d been my first kiss in so long- almost like the first time all over again- and it was natural for me to get a little overexcited with my emotions.  _

_ With Sehun, everything was new and unfamiliar, and that combined with my distracted mind had left our shared kiss completely unsatisfying; I hadn’t allowed myself to  _ feel _. _

_ And while I wasn’t sure what would happen next with Sehun- if he’d even ask me out again so I could give him another chance- I knew one thing for sure. _

_ I just wanted to talk to my best friend again.” _

* * *

* * *

**_Monday, October 29, 2018_ **

Yuri sat at their usual cafeteria table with Jaeun right next to her, the two of them settling into their seats and placing their purses on the floor.

“Chan said he and Jisung are on their way now.”

She nodded at her roommate, resting her arms on the table as she glanced at the entrance to the cafe.

This would be the first time she’d talked to or seen Jisung since Saturday.

She’d made a decision that she wasn’t going to make things weird; that they could just talk about it, like they always did, and things would be fine. Yuri just needed to  _ see _ him again- replace her most recent memory of him with something other than his face just inches from her own, speaking softly against her lips-

Anything to make it go away.

She recognized Chan’s messy, blonde hair first, a bright grin on the man’s face as he talked animatedly to Jisung, who was smiling less enthusiastically, nodding along with the older’s words. Yuri’s eyes lingered on her best friend, her throat tightening just slightly when she saw the black t-shirt he was wearing, almost identical to the one he’d been sporting on Saturday, hanging nicely on his broad shoulders.

_ Whoa _

Yuri subtly pinched the skin of her arm- she did  _ not _ think Jisung was hot- just as the guys were approaching the table, sitting across from her and Jaeun.

“Hey mates!” Chan exclaimed happily, collapsing into the chair across from Jaeun, making her giggle. “How’s it going?”

“Hey Channie,” Yuri laughed a little- he was always so  _ happy _ \- giving him a tiny wave. “Why are you so excited?”

“Yeah,” Jaeun chimed in, smiling at the older. “I’m curious.”

Jisung was looking at Yuri, and she turned to face him, their eyes meeting for a moment, a slight smile on both of their faces still.

_ Are we okay? _

She was asking him with her eyes, ignoring the slight skip in her chest at the sight of him.

Yuri was just  _ nervous _ , that’s all.

But Jisung’s eyes were darting along the features of her face, and she watched him swallow, Yuri following the movement of his adam’s apple before Chan was talking again, grabbing their attention once more.

“I got a new job,” he answered jubilantly, looking between all of them. “My friend Jamie hooked me up with it!”

“ _ Oh _ . Where?” Jaeun asked, sparkly with excitement.

“That escape room place by the chicken restaurant,” he replied quickly. “Cool, right? I start next week, we’ve got to do one together.”

“Are you sure you should be working in an escape room?” Jisung asked, a slight smirk on his face as he looked at Chan. “What if you’re not smart enough to get yourself out?”

Yuri laughed along with Jaeun, leaning over automatically to whack Jisung lightly on the arm. But the second her fingers touched his skin, there was that  _ shift _ again, and she brought her hand back as if burned, Jisung’s eyes on the movement as his smile faded just slightly.

Neither Chan nor Jaeun seemed to notice, their eyes meeting for a few, uninterrupted seconds before they were standing up quite suddenly, turning back to her and Jisung.

“We’re gonna go, uh-” Chan scratched the back of his head.

“Grab some coffee,” Jaeun finished the sentence smoothly, smiling as her cheeks went a little pink. “Before class.”

“Yeah, you know, something to  _ wake us up _ -” Chan added, unable to stop himself from laughing as Jaeun giggled next to him, face going bright red.

“Bye!” she said, waving quickly.

They made their way out of the cafeteria, Jaeun hitting him on the shoulder as Chan’s laughter echoed across the open space before they disappeared through the exit.

“Um…” Yuri turned back to face Jisung, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t there coffee  _ here _ ?”

Jisung chuckled at that and she joined him, the two of them locking eyes for a moment.

It was awkward- they were  _ alone _ now- and Yuri hated that in the first place; she and Jisung were alone all the time.

She shuffled her feet back and forth beneath the table, jumping when her shoe accidentally bumped his, both of them sitting a little straighter in their seats before their eyes were meeting once more.

_ This is stupid _

Yuri forced herself to swallow her nerves, breaking the silence.

“You okay?” she asked, voice softer than usual.

Jisung hesitated for a brief moment, eyes darting away for only a moment before they were back, answering her with a slow nod.

“Yeah,” he answered, quiet too. “I’m fine. Are you?”

Yuri could feel the knot in her stomach- the one that’d been there since she’d seen him- start to tighten at the way Jisung was looking at her; like he was worried. And she had the random urge to tell him  _ no _ ; that she  _ wasn’t _ okay, because things were weird right now and she didn’t  _ want  _ them to be.

“Yeah,” she replied instead, laughing just slightly. “I’m fine.”

He knew she was lying- Jisung  _ always _ knew- and she could see it in his eyes that he wasn’t being one hundred percent truthful either, but Yuri wasn’t sure calling him out on it would do anything.

What could they say?

_ It’ll just take time _

“I went on my date,” she told him, looking for a change of subject.

It seemed neither of them could talk like she’d thought.

“Yeah?” Jisung asked, grinning a little as he swallowed again. “How’d that go?”

And normally, Yuri would tell him everything.

She’d tell him how much she’d talked and how much Sehun hadn’t seemed to mind; how he wasn’t much of a talker himself. That he’d reached out and grabbed her hand, and it’d surprised her, but he never seemed to notice that stuff, and they walked for the rest of the time with their fingers intertwined. That Sehun kissed her at the end of the date and it’d been sweet and lovely- even if she hadn’t felt the connection she’d wanted- and that she didn’t laugh nervously like she always did, was he proud of her?

But something had her re-thinking her words, folding her fingers together on the table as she smiled.

“We went to the art fair,” Yuri answered. “And it was cool… not as exciting as I thought it would be…”

She added the last part as an afterthought, and Jisung was chuckling lightly, his eyes moving along the features of her face for a second.

“I mean…” he shrugged, and she was happy to hear the  _ teasing _ back in his voice, if only slightly. “How fun can that really  _ be _ ?”

Yuri laughed a little, resisting the urge to hit him on the arm again as she shook her head.

“Shut  _ up _ ,” she protested, and with their laughter, she could feel the tension in her shoulders lessening just slightly. “It was fine. We got coffee and I got to know him a bit… so I think it went well.”

Jisung was nodding, looking away from her to glance down at his fingers that were drumming a nervous rhythm on the tabletop, his metal bracelet hitting the surface with a high-pitched clink.

“Wanna walk to class?” Yuri asked, not wanting to slip back into another awkward silence.

“Yeah, sure.”

They got up, walking together like they always did on Monday mornings. Yuri told him about the Wonder Woman pop-art and that got them talking about the movie again, and how bad ass they’d both thought it was. Jisung told her how behind he was on his math class homework and she told him not to feel bad; she’d been procrastinating on a research paper due in a week.

Their conversation was easy-  _ familiar _ \- but it was filled with the stiff tension Yuri was trying so desperately to ignore. They weren’t touching- both holding tight to the straps of their backpacks- and there was more space between them than normal. Yuri wasn’t bumping her shoulder against his or rustling up his already messy hair, because they couldn’t touch.

Not yet.

Then Jisung was saying his goodbyes and they were waving before Yuri was walking alone once more, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that settled heavily at the bottom of her stomach. She told herself things were  _ going _ to be awkward- she couldn’t  _ possibly _ expect them not to be- and that once again, it was just going to take  _ time _ .

And maybe if they just  _ didn’t _ talk about it- went against her original plan- everything would eventually be alright. 

* * *

* * *

Jiae flipped the page, raising a sarcastic eyebrow at her grandmother.

“Yuri  _ really  _ thinks that’s going to work?”

Grandma Kim laughed loudly at that, rocking a little quicker in her chair as she raised a finger to point at Jiae.

“You know, you  _ remind _ me of her a bit,” she remarked with a smile. “All that  _ snark _ .”

Jiae giggled, glancing at the new date on the page written in Jisung’s handwriting again.

“I know,” she replied, eyes darting to the older for a moment before they were back on the notebook. “I thought the same thing.”

Taking a deep breath, she started to read again.

“ _ The few days that followed that weekend had been weird for me. I’d never heard from Nari like she’d promised, but I’d hardly noticed, completely caught up in the complications I was having with Yuri. _

_ Seeing her for the first time on Monday had been odd- I’d missed her a lot, but things had  _ changed _ \- and I’d hated every bit of it. I thought it was best to just move on from the situation as much as I could.  _

_ Yuri and I would probably be stiff for a bit- no different than any big fights we’d ever gotten into, growing up together over the years. And we would get over it, just like we got over everything else in our lives… _

_ Together. _

_ Still, my stress level was through the roof, and when I saw Nari again that following week, I was happy to put my mind on something else…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday, October 31, 2018_ **

Chan and Jisung walked together to the science building, the older adjusting the bag on his shoulder as he glanced over.

“I think I’m going to take Jaeun on a proper date pretty soon.”

“You haven’t already done that?” Jisung asked, a little surprised; how long had they been together now?

“Well, you know we’ve gone to the cafe and around the shops and stuff,” Chan waved his hand dismissively. “But I mean like, a  _ real _ date. Maybe a fancy dinner at a nice restaurant? With candles?”

“I mean, all girls like that,” he answered honestly, thinking Jaeun would probably like  _ anything _ Chan did. 

“I just think we kind of jumped the gun with the physical stuff, you know?” the older said as they made their way inside. “She deserves more than hookups.”

Jisung smiled slightly at that- how they hell were these two already so  _ smitten _ ?- heading with Chan up the hallway.

“I agree, but I think you guys should do something she actually likes to do,” he told the older honestly. “Don’t do a candlelit dinner. It’s so…  _ basic _ .”

He didn’t know Jaeun  _ that _ well, but to be honest, she didn’t seem like the kind of girl looking for something fancy.

“ _ Pft _ , I guess being best friends with a girl makes you the expert, huh?” Chan teased. “I bet if you had to choose a date for Yuri, you’d know exactly where to take her.”

Jisung rolled his eyes because his roommate was  _ always _ making jokes like that; he knew how much it annoyed him and thought it was funny.

But of course he’d know where to take Yuri.

They’d go mini-golfing, just so they could talk shit the entire time because they always did; they were honestly both terrible at the game.

Or maybe he’d take Yuri to a bookstore, since he knew that would entertain her for hours and he could look through the music selection; plus the cafes in there always had the best coffee. 

Or if he was keeping it simple, he might even say they should see a movie, but a late night one where they could have the theater to themselves. Yuri would eat all the popcorn like she always did while Jisung ate way too much candy and they could talk openly with one another, not worried about disturbing anyone else because they were all alone-

He shook his head, Chan staring at him with an amused smile on his face.

“What?” Jisung asked, looking ahead quickly.

“Nothing.” 

The older just shrugged, but he still had that stupid grin on his face.

They said their goodbyes and Jisung was pinching the bridge of his nose, wondering when all this…  _ weirdness _ was going to end. Why was he thinking about bringing Yuri on a date? Since when has he  _ ever _ wanted to take Yuri on a  _ date _ ?

He collapsed into his usual chair- Nari wasn’t there yet- pulling out his textbook as he tried to just forget about all of it. Ignore the strange, nagging knot in his stomach and the way his chest felt- kind of fuzzy- when he let his mind get away from him.

_ We’ve just gotta move on _

“Hey.”

Jisung jumped a little, watching Nari sit gracefully into her seat, flashing him the same slightly flirty smile she always did. She pushed all her silky hair off her shoulder as she rested her bag in her lap.

“Hey,” he said back, his eyes moving up and down her body quickly.

Nari was wearing a skirt again.

She was digging through her bag, yanking out his spiral bound notebook, giving him an apologetic smile as she set it on the table.

“I’m sorry I didn’t text this weekend,” Nari closed her bag, setting it on the floor next to her before turning to him. “I was really busy… I  _ completely _ lost track of time-”

Her bottom lip was lodged between her teeth again and Jisung’s eyes darted to the movement for a second, thinking she didn’t really need to be so apologetic; he’d almost forgotten she was supposed to text him.

“It’s fine,” he told her with a shrug, grinning a little. “I was kind of busy too.”

Nari was smiling again, looking thankful, and he’d almost forgotten how  _ pretty _ she was.

He was opening his textbook to the new chapter, sliding his notes towards the right so he could scribble on a fresh page when he felt Nari’s hand caressing his shoulder.

“Geez, Jisung, have you been going to the gym more or something?” her voice was teasing and flirty like it always.

“Uh, I mean not more than usual, no,” Jisung answered with a chuckle, very aware of her fingers still resting on his shoulder.

Since almost a month into the class, Nari had been this touchy- Jisung was used to it by now- but that didn’t mean he was paying any less attention.

“Hmm…”

She dragged her hand down the length of his arm with a thoughtful hum.

“They seem bigger.”

_ Yuri’s hand was on his other shoulder before they were sliding down his arms- caressing the skin there as he felt it warm a little beneath her touch. _

_ Everything was so familiar- that slight vanilla smell Yuri always had, the sound of her voice, her fingers on him like they always were when they were together- but then again, it wasn’t at  _ all- _ an intense humming in his veins as they kissed, amplified by her touch- _

_ “Can I touch your hair, too?” _

_ Her voice was hardly recognizable- all breathy and soft- and Jisung couldn’t believe how  _ hot  _ she sounded, trying to think straight. _

_ “You can do whatever you want, now.” _

Jisung quickly reached for his pencil, stomach twisting uneasily as he laughed again at Nari’s words.

“Thanks.”

She giggled a little, and they exchanged flirty, smiles as Jisung tried to level out his heart rate, wondering when these freaky flashbacks of Yuri were going to go away.

“You know we’ve got a big quiz coming up soon,” she said with an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes playfully. “You’re gonna help me study, right?”

She was very good at looking up at him through her lashes, grin both playful and a little suggestive as she shifted naturally in her chair, bare legging brushing his.

“Sure,” Jisung breathed, still grinning as he looked down at her. “I mean, yeah, you can just text me… If you’ve still got my number.”

He was teasing her now, and she giggled again, playing with her hair.

“I have it, I promise,” she told him confidently, resting her delicate arms on the table. “I was really just busy.”

“ _ Sure _ ,” Jisun replied, messing with her again, and she reached over to hit him playfully on the arm.

“I  _ do _ .”

But her fingers didn’t leave, fiddling with the bracelet on his wrist, eyes inspecting the simple chain.

_ Yuri laughed along with Jaeun, leaning over automatically to whack Jisung lightly on the arm. But the second her fingers touched his skin, Jisung could feel that shift again, and she must’ve felt it too, pulling her hand back as if burned- _

Nari looked up at him again, and it was easier for Jisung to shake the memories, if only a little, as he looked at her beautiful face.

“This is so sweet, that you wear this for your dad,” she told him, voice admiring. “ _ You’re _ so sweet… letting me borrow your notes… promising to help me study with this quiz… people are gonna think I’m using you.”

Jisung laughed, still acutely aware of the way her fingers were sliding along the inner skin of his forearm, still playing with the bracelet.

“It’s not a big deal,” he told her quietly. “I really don’t mind.”

And he  _ didn’t _ ; Jisung thought Nari was worth the slight effort helping her took on his part.

She laughed lightly before pulling her fingers away, resting her arm next to his now as she glanced at the textbook between them.

“Are you  _ excited _ for this next chapter?” Nari was being sarcastic, and it made him laugh as he nodded over-enthusiastically.

“Oh  _ yes _ ,” he replied playfully. “ _ Absolutely _ .”

She was giggling as he shook his head.

“ _ Nah _ , I’m never looking forward to the next chapters,” he told her honestly, glancing at the book. “I thought Biology would be cool, but I think I would’ve been better off taking Physical Science with my buddy Chan.”

“But you’re so  _ smart  _ in this class,” Nari said, sounding sincere as her eyes roamed along his face. “I still think you should’ve majored in science.”

Jisung was flattered, feeling her leg brush against his again.

“Then again, I guess I’ve never heard you  _ perform _ -”

Nari’s eyes were back on his, running up and down his body before she was smiling coyly at him.

“-so maybe that’s even better.”

Jisung felt a subtle heat creeping up his skin at the way she was looking at him, grinning back.

“If I ever perform somewhere, I’ll let you know.”

Nari was biting her lip again, before their conversation was interrupted as the professor finally entered the room, calling out a quick greeting before demanding the attention of the class.

And Jisung realized this was the longest stretch of time he’d gone without stressing over Yuri; even if it had only been a few minutes. Even with the small, pesky memories creeping into his mind, it was slightly easier to push them away when Nari was there with her pretty eyes and flirty banter.

He thought if he was going to just move on from all this, Nari might be just the distraction he needed.


	12. Chapter 12

Jiae sighed heavily; she didn’t like this.

“If they both felt something during the kiss and they can’t stop thinking about it, why don’t they just get together already?” she asked, a little frustrated. “They’re already perfect for one another!”

Grandma Kim didn’t answer right away, calmly rocking back and forth in her chair.

“When you’re young, a lot of people have this idea that love is  _ easy _ ; that once you find your perfect match, there’s not much you have to do beyond that,” she said slowly. “But love-  _ real _ love- takes  _ time _ , Jiae; it;s not always the fairy tale you want.”

Jiae knew that- she wasn’t  _ stupid _ \- but still…

How could they be in such denial?

“Yuri and Jisung have  _ years _ of best friendship under their belt,” the older continued, still seeing the questions in Jiae’s eyes. “They were- in a sense- each other’s  _ person _ . To throw a relationship into the mix and complicate things…”

She trailed off, but Jiae nodded in understanding.

“Right,” she exhaled heavily, turning to the next page. “It could ruin everything.”

“I also think-” her grandmother sounded thoughtful, a slight smile on her face as Jiae looked up at her. “-that Jisung  _ and _ Yuri weren’t all the way aware of what was going on; if  _ you  _ were to suddenly kiss your best friend, would you immediately jump to the two of you being in love?”

Jiae thought of her best friend Minji- cringing a little at the thought of kissing her. But she thought that, even if she  _ was _ into women, she probably wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions like that either.

“I mean…” she sighed in defeat. “I guess I get it.”

Her grandmother was chuckling a little, and Jiae smiled reluctantly before she was reading out loud once more, noticing they were back in Yuri’s point of view.

“ _ After that first week, Jisung and I tried to get back to the way things were the best we could. I never told anyone what happened- not even Jaeun- and though I never asked, I assumed he never told anyone either. _

_ Things still weren’t all the way back to normal; we couldn’t touch, or mess around like we used to, and every once in a while, we had awkward moments that we tried to shake off.  _

_ We hadn’t hung out alone since  _ that night _ , but I guess I couldn’t entirely blame that on our complicated situation; I had also been spending a lot of my time with Sehun. I’d decided to give him another chance- the two of us dating casually for the last few weeks- as I tried my best to get to know him and put the whole Jisung thing behind me…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Saturday, November 17, 2018_ **

Yuri sat on the bench on campus grounds next to Sehun, reaching out to hold his hand again.

Since the art fair, it seemed he was always waiting for  _ her _ to do that.

But his fingers folded easily with her own, Sehun staring ahead thoughtfully as Yuri sat in the silence with him, the cold November air blowing through the strands of her hair.

Many times, when they hung out, it was like this; so  _ quiet _ . 

In a way, Yuri thought she liked that- the peacefulness of it- and she found that dating Sehun meant you got used to silence and tried not to be awkwarded out by it like she always was. It meant not a lot of conversation sometimes, and long periods where they were just  _ sitting _ , enjoying one another’s company.

It was out of her comfort zone, but honestly,  _ relationships _ were out of Yuri’s comfort zone; she hadn’t been with anyone since Jungkook.

“I had this book idea,” she told him, finally breaking the silence as she glanced over at him. “I thought I might write about  _ animals _ , actually, a kid’s book or something, and they travel to different parts of the world. Superheroes, maybe…”

Yuri had always loved the idea of writing children’s books; if she didn’t write a bestseller, she thought she’d be pretty content writing the favorite character of a bunch of little kids, instead; it would still be just as rewarding.

“I thought you wanted to write novels?” he finally looked at her, and his handsome face was even more gorgeous in the sun, hair perfectly windswept and lifted off his forehead.

“I do,” she laughed a little, shifting on the bench. “But if that doesn’t work out, I thought it’d be cute, you know? And maybe some  _ unusual  _ animals; like a crocodile and a duck, or something. Wouldn’t that be funny?”

Sehun chuckled a little, nodding.

“Yeah, it would.”

Yuri knew this was probably as good of an answer as she was going to get.

“Maybe you could draw the pictures,” she added, kicking her feet a little. “We could be partners on it.”

“Sure,” Sehun shrugged, still smiling as he turned away again. “Maybe.”

Again, Yuri tried not to take offense; Sehun never said much.

They talked about their Art History final after that, what they thought might be on it, the sun beginning to set. Yuri was feeling sort of restless again- she was tired of sitting- and she wondered if maybe Sehun noticed? Because he stood up just seconds after she had the thought, smiling at her and taking his hand from hers to stretch his arms above his head.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?”

She grinned right back, jumping up from the bench.

“Sure!” she was ready to  _ move _ . “Are you finally gonna watch  _ Wonder Woman _ with me?”

Sehun was already walking, and she fell into step with him, watching him smile again.

“I found another movie I wanted to see,” he answered her simply, pushing both long-fingered hands in his pockets. “It’s a drama; my friend recommended it to me.”

“Okay,” she nodded, trying to hide her slight disappointment. “Sounds good.”

Usually, movies recommended by Sehun’s friends were very,  _ very _ boring.

Yuri was reaching for his hand again, asking if he had popcorn at his dorm, and he did, which definitely perked her up.

Sehun was fine with her eating most of it on her own; he knew it was her weakness. 

It was exactly why she’d been staying with Sehun the past few weeks; because despite him being a lot more relaxed than she was used to and the conversation being less than she would prefer, he was still, in his own kind of way, sweet to her.

And super,  _ super _ gorgeous.

They  _ did _ talk, and Yuri thought he was really interesting; his love for art was truly admirable. He was always nice to her, and seemed generally pretty happy when she was there, and best of all, when Yuri was with  _ him _ she didn’t have as much free time to sit around and stress about Jisung.

Because she  _ missed  _ her best friend, but wasn’t sure when exactly things were going to go back to normal.

Yuri ignored the twist in her chest at the thought of Jisung, following Sehun inside Building B and chewing nervously on her bottom lip. They walked up the stairs after she checked to make sure no one was there- Chanyeol seemed to be out again- and she let her eyes wander up and down Sehun’s figure, the two of them making their way down the hallway.

She glanced at Jisung’s door and there was another weird jolt in her stomach; she wondered if he was in there right now.

Yuri had been texting him like normal of course- their conversations getting more and more natural as the days went on- and they’d still been seeing each other between classes and for meets ups at the cafe with Chan and Jaeun. They made jokes at each other’s expense again and even walked together to their classes just the two of them, talking over each other too loudly like always.

But still, there was a certain level of strain between them- a rigidity that kept Yuri from shoulder bumping him like she normally did or fixing the pieces of his hair that always seemed to be falling in his face.

The  _ shift  _ was still there.

Yuri and Sehun were moving along, the man typing his code into the door before he was walking inside the dorm and she was following quickly behind him. 

Sehun lived in a single dorm- he’d scored it after his roommate moved out just two weeks into the semester- and so it was easier for them to hang out alone as long as Chanyeol wasn’t around. She spotted the box of popcorn sitting on top of his tiny microwave, turning to him just as he was settling on the bed.

“Can I make some?” she asked, already pulling a package out of the box.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

He was smiling again- one of his soft, laidback ones- before he was grabbing his remote to turn on the movie.

With the popcorn made and the two of them sitting side by side on his mattress, the movie started to play, and Yuri watched the screen, hand constantly buried in the bag on her lap.

About an hour or so into the movie- Yuri completely lost on what was going on, bag of popcorn long emptied- she felt Sehun moving a little next to her. She turned, heart jumping into her throat when he was already looking at her, eyes meeting hers for a moment as he reached up to tuck a small bit of hair behind her ear.

Sehun did this every time; it was Yuri’s sign that he was about to  _ kiss  _ her.

And she’d always feel that bubble of anticipation in her chest- a warm expectation of what was to come- as he slowly leaned forward, pressing his lips gently against hers.

Yuri would always kiss him back, taking the lead because Sehun didn’t care that she did- he was always so _ relaxed _ \- and she was setting the rhythm, letting her hands wander along his strong, broad shoulders before sliding along the muscles of his upper arms, revelling in how truly  _ beautiful _ he was. She’d feel his own hands running gently up the length of her sides smoothly-  _ gently _ \- a little skip in her chest at his touch.

And again, Yuri waited.

She waited for them to share a kiss where she’d break away from his lips and the air would feel like it’d been sucked from her lungs. She waited for the pounding,  _ erratic _ rhythm of her heart and her fingers to tremble, as they slid along his skin. Yuri waited for Sehun’s hands to tighten around the fabric of her shirt or his lips to move a little quicker- with  _ feeling _ \- and she could get lost in it like she so desperately wanted. 

She waited for their  _ connection _ .

But this kiss was no different from the rest, as Sehun pulled away slowly, a small smile on his face. He tucked her hair behind her ear again, and Yuri was taking her hands from his arms. It was exactly the same as usual, when she was intertwining her fingers with Sehun’s and he was squeezing them before they both faced forward, the movie still playing on the screen.

And once again, Yuri found her mind wandering to Jisung- her  _ best friend _ \- wondering when she’d stop comparing everything to the kiss they’d shared, or when she’d just stop thinking about it at  _ all _ .

_ It’ll just take time _ , she told herself once again, trying her best to ignore the slight stab of pain in her chest.

She hoped that eventually the memory would fade; fade into such a small, undetailed piece of her life that she could hardly recall it, let alone keep reliving it.

But until then she figured she’d wait.

It’d only been a few weeks after all.

* * *

* * *

“But…”

Jiae looked up, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she stared at her grandma.

“If she’s still not feeling anything with Sehun, why is Yuri  _ staying _ with him?”

She didn’t like it; did Yuri think that she would just randomly get feelings for this Sehun guy?

“I thought you liked him?” Grandma Kim teased, a twinkle of amusement in her eye.

“I  _ do _ , but…”

Jiae trailed off; Sehun seemed like an alright guy, albeit a little  _ stoic _ , but still…

“I just don’t like him with  _ Yuri _ ; that’s not at all what she needs. Doesn’t she realize that being that  _ bored _ all the time isn’t normal?”

Her grandmother laughed lightly, humming in agreement.

“Yes, I know,” she conceded. “But Yuri wasn’t very experienced… her last real relationship was with Jungkook. And honestly…”

Grandma Kim sighed heavily.

“I think Yuri thought that her own issues with Jisung were what was causing such a disconnect between her and Sehun,” she continued softly. “Yuri thought it was her fault; and that if she stayed with him while he wanted her, things would just naturally work themselves out with time…”

Jiae turned the pages of the notebook slowly.

“It sounds like  _ denial _ to me.”

Grandma Kim was chuckling again as Jiae took a deep breath before reading Jisung’s messy handwriting.

“ _ For the next few weeks, Nari was the kind of distraction I was looking for. _

_ We talked like always in class, and she borrowed my notes and started texting me, like she’d promised, and I was able to focus on that for a while. She got even touchier with me when we were together, and I welcomed it- anything to keep my mind at ease. _

_ To say things with Yuri and I had gone back to normal would be a bit of a stretch, but we were talking the same again and we at least had that. I didn’t tell Chan what happened- I just sort of wanted to pretend like nothing had happened at  _ all _. _

_ And I relied on Nari just a little too much for that…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Wednesday, November 21, 2018_ **

Jisung was sitting cross-legged on the bed, laptop in front of him with big, oversized headphones over his ears. He was listening to a particular track he was working on, exhaling in slight frustration when he realized he still wasn’t getting it right.

Pulling the headphones from his ears and letting them rest around his neck, he glanced at his phone, checking the time.

**_8:14pm_ **

He was alone in the dorm and had been for most of the night, Chan with Jaeun; those two had been nearly inseparable since the night they’d all celebrated mid-terms. 

Jisung picked up his phone, wondering what Yuri was up to; to be honest, he really  _ missed _ her.

He missed hanging out with her, and their too many snacks and playful debates. He wished they could have a movie night again-  _ The Quiet Place _ had just released on DVD and they’d totally missed it in theaters and had been talking for months about how they were going to watch it as soon as it came out. 

But they hadn’t hung out like that in a few weeks, now.

He hesitated, staring at the device in his hands, wondering if- now that conversation was mostly back to normal- they should just  _ hang out _ like normal, too. Maybe they should break this last, horrible set of barriers that’d popped up between them and they could move on like they both wanted to.

Get rid of all the complications.

Jisung’s finger was hovering over Yuri’s name when his phone buzzed rather unexpectedly, making him jump before he saw  _ Nari’s _ name on the screen.

**Nari (8:17pm):**

_ What are you doing? _

He smiled a little, immediately texting her back.

**Jisung (8:17pm):**

_ Working on some music. What’s up? _

He only had to wait for a second before he got an answer.

**Nari (8:18pm):**

_ Wanna meet me in the library? ;) _

**Nari (8:18pm):**

_ I’ve got a few questions about the study guide _

Jisung stared at the messages for a minute, before quickly typing again.

**Jisung (8:19pm):**

_ Yeah, I’m on my way now _

He saved the file he was working on, closing up his equipment quickly before setting everything on his messy desktop, making sure it was steady enough not to clatter to the ground. Then he was stretching his arms above his head, before glancing at Yuri’s name below Nari’s on his phone screen.

_ She’s probably with Sehun anyway _

With that final thought, he stuffed the device hastily in his pocket, making his way quickly out of the dorm.

* * *

“Hey, I’m just saying! You said you’d tell me when you’re going to perform… I honestly wanna see it…”

Jisung and Nari were walking side by side down the campus sidewalks, and he laughed, feeling her hand run down his forearm, fingering the chain bracelet around his wrist. 

When he’d made it to the library, Nari had quite a few questions; so many in fact, that it almost felt like he was doing the study guide  _ for  _ her. But he knew the answers already- he’d worked on it during all the extra free time he had lately- and she’d been so  _ thankful _ ; it made him feel good.

“I don’t really  _ perform _ ,” he answered honestly, watching her fingers on his bracelet, grinning a little. “I mean… I was in theater, I guess, when I was in high school-”

“Of course you were.”

Jisung looked up at that, turning his head in slight curiosity.

“What does that mean?” he asked teasingly.

“It  _ means _ , it’s just like I always say,” she had a flirty gleam in her eyes as she looked up at him, smile even prettier in the dim lights outside. “You’re the whole package.”

He chuckled, flattered once again as he felt her fingers still dusting along his skin.

“Thanks.”

Nari’s eyes wandered from his, and she giggled a little, reaching up to the strands of his hair.

“Where did this come from?”

It was a small leaf, and Jisung laughed as she held it up for him to see before flicking it to the ground. They both watched it flutter down before Nari’s fingers were running very gently through his hair again, fixing it a little.

“You have  _ amazing _ hair,” she told him, voice a little softer than usual. “Has anyone ever told you that?”

Jisung let out a nervous laugh, feeling a sudden, tight  _ knot _ in his stomach.

_ Yuri’s hands were running through his hair again, the girl sighing above him. _

_ “Why do you have such pretty hair?” she asked in mock annoyance, and he could feel her holding some of the strands between her fingers. “I hate you.” _

__

“Yeah,” Jisung replied quickly, shaking his head a little. “I’ve heard that before.”

He was shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans as they kept walking, Nari pulling her hand away again.

Jisung was frustrated; it seemed no matter how much time went by he couldn’t all the way shake this odd  _ feeling _ he got when he thought about Yuri now; he didn’t  _ understand  _ it.

“No, but honestly…”

Nari was talking again just as they stopped in front of her dorm building.

“You came and helped me study-”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Jisung interrupted with a small grin. 

Nari took a step closer as she reached forward, playing with his fingers.

“But you still came,” she told him, and Jisung watched her hand slide slowly up the length of his arm, swallowing a little- Nari was always touchy, but this felt  _ different _ .

“And you’re nice… and funny…”

He chuckled again- flattered- stiffening slightly when she got closer, body just inches from his own.

“ _ And _ you’re smart,” she laughed a little in disbelief, as Jisung’s eyes finally met hers. “Whole package.”

Jisung was  _ sure _ these touches were different now, and the way Nari was looking at him had him gulping nervously again, eyes sliding along the features of her beautiful face.

“Plus, you’re good looking,” her voice was so much softer now, a flirty, one-sided smile on her face. “Like…  _ hot _ .”

“You too,” Jisung couldn’t believe it’d taken him this long to  _ say _ something, his voice lower than usual as he too, stepped forward. “You’re beautiful.”

His words were the truth- Nari was one of my most beautiful girls he’d ever seen- and her eyes shined at the compliment, one of her hands sliding smoothly up to the back of his neck, Jisung’s gaze wandering to her lips.

“Is that why you’ve been helping me so much?” she whispered teasingly.

But before Jisung could answer her, Nari’s lips were pressing against his, their heads turning to the side as they revelled in the feel of each other for the first time.

_ Yuri leaned forward, pressing her lips against Jisung’s, and he hummed in slight surprise at the move, his fingers shifting a little in her hair, as his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Their rhythm was  _ slow _ , and he was taking his hand from her hair, cupping her face into the palm of his hand- _

He shook the images harshly from his mind, forcing himself to focus on what was right in front of him- Nari; beautiful, skirt-wearing, flirty, sexy  _ Nari _ \- her lips moving in a smooth rhythm against his own.

And then they were pulling away, Jisung’s eyes opening slowly as he stared at her.

He’d shaken Yuri’s memories away.

Nari’s eyes were searching his own, a playful smile pulling on her slightly swollen lips, and Jisung only hesitated for a moment before leaning forward once more, pressing his lips a little harder against hers now.

And as they turned their heads once more, Jisung focused on the way her nails scraped up the skin of his arm and the softness of her silky hair as he ran his fingers through it.

He led the kiss now, looking for that  _ rush _ , hoping Nari could help him forget.

If only for a moment.


	13. Chapter 13

“These two are gonna drive me crazy.” Jiae sighed in exasperation, folding the pages of the notebook. “How many obvious signs do you need? And how can they keep talking about how things are supposed to go back to normal, if they won’t even hang out! That’s  _ not _ normal!”

Grandma Kim looked highly amused, laughing as she rocked in her chair.

“It’s been almost a month,” Jiae insisted. “ _ Please _ tell me they’re gonna talk soon. I know they’re  _ technically _ talking, but it’s not the same…”

Her stomach was aching just a little bit, hating how hard this was for both of them.

Her grandmother leaned forward, smiling gently as she placed a gentle finger on the next date.

“You’re not at the end just yet, Jiae,” she reassured, sitting back once more. “Keep reading.”

Jiae nodded, getting more comfortable in her chair as she continued out loud in Jisung’s point of view.

“ _ I didn’t find the excitement I was looking for, kissing Nari that night. _

_ We were out there for a while, her hands on my skin and my fingers in her hair. And while I never felt the rush, at least I’d gotten the tainted memories of Yuri from my mind, and that was enough for me; a taste of relief. _

_ I knew I was in my head though, kissing Nari out there, and when I get in my own head, it’s hard for me to crawl out; even with someone as hot as her. _

_ We parted ways that night, and I saw her next on that Friday, where I gave her my notebook, and she kissed me on the cheek as a thank you, when she left class that day. I’d realized for the first time that Nari had never bought a textbook of her own- she’d always shared mine- and I wondered if it’d been a ploy all along.  _

_ A way for her to talk to me. _

_ I walked out of class that day feeling  _ happy _ \- things were finally moving along with Nari- but my mood was shaken when I showed up at the cafe for our usual friday meet up, and Yuri wasn’t there…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Friday, November 23, 2018_ **

Jisung fixed the backpack on his shoulder as he entered the cafeteria, eyes automatically finding their table near the window. He saw Chan and Jaeun sitting across from one another, leaned close as always, smiling and talking as Jisung approached.

“Hey!”

He swung the bag to the ground next to him, grinning at both of them before glancing at the empty seat next to Jaeun.

“Where’s Yuri?”

He was still feeling a little giddy, after Nari’s kiss on his cheek with a promise they’d hang out again soon, her fingers briefly squeezing his hand before she was walking away.

“I think she’s sick.”

Jisung felt the smile fade from his face a little, looking at Jaeun as his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, it started Wednesday night,” the girl continued. “She had a sore throat and I think she woke up yesterday with a fever.”

He frowned.

_ Since Wednesday? _

Why hadn’t she told him?

They’d been texting regularly- just like always- but Yuri hadn’t said a thing about not feeling good…

“Has she eaten anything?” he asked, Chan raising an eyebrow at him in the corner of his eye. “Or you know… at least had like, water and stuff?”

Jisung knew exactly how Yuri could be when she was sick; a  _ big _ baby.

“I’ve seen her drink some water,” Jaeun answered, looking a little worried. “But honestly, everytime I offer her food she says she’s not hungry.”

Jisung sighed, almost annoyed; of  _ course  _ she hadn't eaten.

For as long as they’d been friends, he’d had to deal with Yuri and how absolutely helpless she got  _ only _ when she was sick. Normally, his best friend was Miss Independent, never wanting assistance, taking care of others along with herself…

But when she was sick- which didn’t happen very often- she was the opposite; stubborn about eating, sad, and a little clingy.

Jisung always ended up getting sick, too, helping take care of her.

“She’s just laying in bed,” Jaeun added, breaking him from his thoughts. “I think she’s trying to sleep it off.”

He nodded, and after a moment, Chan and Jaeun started talking about the upcoming weekend, Jisung chiming in every once in a while, his mind running in circles.

_ Should I check on her _ ?

For the thousandth time, he found himself frustrated that this was even a question; that he was having to  _ hesitate  _ before going to see Yuri.

But she hadn’t told him, and he wondered if it was because she  _ knew _ he might come…

And they would be all alone for the first time.

His insides flipped a little, but he was pressing his lips together, leg bouncing up and down under the table; if Yuri hadn’t eaten since  _ Wednesday _ …

“I think I’m gonna go check on her.”

He was standing up from his chair before he could contemplate any harder about it, picking his bag up off the floor and glancing between his two friends.

“I just wanna, you know-” he shrugged the backpack onto his shoulder once more. “-make sure she’s alright.”

“Yeah,” Jaeun replied, Chan nodding along with her. “That’s probably a good idea.”

Jisung said his goodbyes, waving at the pair before turning on his heel, and heading for the food area. He grabbed soup, crackers, and a few bowls of ramen, purchasing them quickly before making his way to the vending machines in the hall. There, he bought a few packs of fever-reducers and cough drops before throwing all his things in a plastic bag, heading straight for the girl’s dorm across campus.

He was almost angry at Yuri, for not telling him she was sick. 

Why were they hiding things from each other now? They’d been talking just fine lately, and yeah, maybe him being there alone with her would be kind of weird at first, but it was like he’d been thinking the other day; maybe if they broke that barrier, it would all just go away.

Making his way quickly through the double doors, he headed straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time, passing no one on his way up. Then he was walking swiftly down the hallway, stopping at Yuri’s dorm door and typing the passcode into the lock- he’d known it since move-in day.

Turning the knob, he walked quickly inside, gaze falling on a tiny-looking Yuri, curled up under her bright purple comforter, eyes wide as she lifted her head from the pillow to look at him.

“Jisung?” she croaked.

He felt a rush of both exasperation and relief- he wasn’t sure why he’d even been so worried- sighing as he made his way to her bed.

“What the hell, Yu,” he muttered, getting a closer look at her.

Bright pink cheeks, sweaty, matted hair, glazed over eyes and dark circles, she looked absolutely  _ miserable _ .

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

She didn’t answer, watching him squat down next to her on the floor, digging through his plastic bag.

“When’s the last time you ate something?”

“You don’t have to take care of me,” she all but whispered, looking sad as her eyes met his. “Really-”

“Stop being stupid.”

He hated that look in her eyes, his chest constricting a little as he hurriedly handed her a water bottle.

“Drink this.”

Yuri took the bottle without argument, sitting up in bed as she twisted off the cap, slowly sipping the water as he pulled out a cup of soup. They were quiet as he made his way across the small dorm, peeling the lid off the bowl before placing it in the microwave. As he stood there waiting, grabbing a clean spoon from a cup underneath, he realized his heart was  _ pounding  _ in his chest.

Was he nervous?

Jisung ignored the thought entirely, the microwave beeping before he was carefully taking out the hot soup, stirring it a couple times before making his way slowly back to her bed. 

Yuri was sitting up now, propped up against the wall as she put the cap back on her bottle.

He hesitated before placing the bowl on the nightstand beside her, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

“Eat that.”

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes moving slowly along the features of his face, and his chest clenched again but he ignored it, looking away and adjusting his position on her rug.

“Yuri, please eat it.”

Jisung knew how she was- so  _ stubborn _ sometimes- and he also knew this probably  _ was _ the first time she’d be eating. 

A few seconds passed before she was reaching for the bowl, and he looked up to see her placing it gently on the bundle of comforter in her lap, taking a few, tentative bites. 

They were quiet again, Jisung alternating between messing with some apps on his phone and looking at her, making sure she was still eating. It wasn’t the natural, comfortable silence he was used to between the two of them.

The air was  _ filled _ with tension… and Jisung knew why.

Because normally, when Yuri was sick like this, he was crawling into bed with her. He was sitting on the mattress, teasing her about how pathetic she was, and putting something on TV for them to watch, telling her he’s not going anywhere because he never had anything else to do. Normally, he’d be complaining playfully about how he was going to get sick because of her, and she’d be telling him to shut up, her hits to his arm much weaker than they normally were before she was laying all over him-  _ clingy _ \- falling asleep and trapping him for hours.

But even though they’d gotten back that conversation side of their best friendship again, there’d been space between them since that night, and while Jisung thought this might  _ help _ , he hadn’t realized how  _ strained _ it would be, everything unspoken still lingering in the air.

Yuri finally finished the soup, and he glanced up, noting the bright red color of her cheeks was still there.

“Do you have a fever?” he asked gently, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, voice raspy. “I don’t have a thermometer.”

He swallowed as they stared at one another again.

_ This is stupid _

Jisung reached up quickly before he lost his nerve, sweeping her swoopy bangs right off her forehead as he felt the skin there. There was a slight  _ buzz _ beneath his fingertips, and he tried not to notice Yuri jump ever so slightly before she was closing her eyes, strands of hair caught in her lashes.

She  _ definitely _ had a fever.

He pulled away slowly, pressing the back of his hand to her cheeks, the skin there just as hot as her forehead had been. Yuri’s eyes were still closed, and he felt the small flip of his stomach, ignoring that too before he was bringing his hand back to his side.

“It feels like you do.”

Jisung saw her opening her eyes again before he was digging around his plastic bag once more, pulling out the medicine he’d bought and handing it over. She took it, staring at the little packet before looking back up at him.

“Take those.”

Yuri smiled for the first time, and he was happy to see it, feeling warm as he smiled back.

“So bossy,” she muttered.

The exchange broke a little bit of the tension, and Jisung watched as she took the medication, wondering how Yuri could be so cute, even when she was this sick; she was almost  _ more  _ adorable like that.

_ What? _

Before he could analyze that thought at all-  _ why _ was he thinking about Yuri like that?- she was sliding back onto the mattress again, burying herself under her comforter as she laid down on her pillow.

“Sungie…”

Yuri’s voice was so quiet he could barely hear her, and he leaned closer, arm lifting up to rest on the mattress.

“I miss you.”

Her eyelids were heavy with sleep, but she was still looking at him- so  _ sad _ again- and Jisung swallowed around the small lump in his throat, exhaling hard.

“Yeah…” he all but whispered. “I miss you too.”

He knew he’d been sad about the distance, and their lack of hang outs, but he hadn’t felt the loss to its entirety until now. Jisung hadn’t felt how  _ strongly _ he wanted things to go back to normal until he was there with her, colliding with the barriers they’d unknowingly created.

Why did things have to be so complicated now?

Yuri was a bit disoriented with her fever it seemed, rolling onto her side and hesitating for just a moment before her hand was running up the length of his forearm on the mattress. He tensed a little at the touch, her fingers tightening around his wrist before speaking.

“Maybe we should talk about it,” she murmured quietly.

Jisung was warm where her hand rested against his skin, but he figured that was the fever, ignoring the still racing beat of his heart. 

He didn’t know what to say, because what was he  _ supposed _ to say? How could they talk about it without making things worse? 

Jisung was closing his eyes with a sigh- he was so  _ tired _ \- resting his forehead on the mattress as he recognized the slight vanilla smell that was so  _ Yuri _ .

_ When did I start noticing that? _

“I don’t want the space between us anymore,” she spoke groggily, clear distress in her quiet voice as she squeezed his arm a little tighter. “I hate it so much.”

Jisung’s stomach was tightening into knots again, the constriction on his chest even heavier as he nodded against the mattress.

“I know,” he replied. “Me too.”

And he  _ did _ ; he hated all of this so much. He didn’t want this to be a  _ thing _ anymore, didn’t want to look at Yuri and think she was cute when she was sick or pay so much attention to her fingers pressed into the skin of his arm. Jisung didn’t want his heart to beat so fast when he was alone with her or his throat to tighten with emotions he didn’t want to recognize.

He just wanted Yuri back- his  _ best friend _ .

“Come up here with me.”

Her words had him lifting his head, watching as her other hand came out from beneath the comforter, wrapping around his forearm and tugging weakly.

“Please?”

Jisung wasn’t sure that was such a good idea, already feeling the odd sensation of his skin as her other hand wrapped around him.

“Yuri…” he hesitated, glancing between her fingers and flushed face. “I might get sick.”

It was such a lame excuse; they both knew that’d never stopped him before. 

And Jisung looked at her- red cheeks, disheveled hair, searching eyes with a slight frown pulling on the corners of her lips- and he suddenly felt so  _ drained _ .

“Please?” she asked again, the question breaking the last of his resolve as he took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

She didn’t move, his arm slipping from beneath her hands before he was carefully crawling over her, letting his body fall onto the small, squishy mattress. Immediately, he was surrounded by her familiar scent- comforted by it- as Yuri slowly rolled over.

She was just inches from him- the bed wasn’t very big- Jisung’s head resting on her pillow, and as soon as she was facing him, her face was buried into the side of his upper arm. Jisung felt bizarre- body completely  _ relaxing _ , even as he felt the tension between them- Yuri’s hands wrapping around his arm once more. 

Curled up, she looked small beneath the covers, and his eyes wandered to her face; eyes closed, her nose cutely squished into his skin…

And he wished Nari would text him or someone would walk in, something to shake him from his own, confusing thoughts and distract him again. Something to help him ignore the strange floating sensation in his chest or the heartbeat that was so fast it echoed in his own ears. 

“Thank you.”

Her lips dusted across his skin as she spoke, and he ignored the goosebumps that raced down his arm, his eyes slipping closed as he felt sleep start to pull him under.

“No problem.”

Jisung was just so,  _ so _ tired.

* * *

* * *

“I don’t know what to say…”

Jiae looked up, heart  _ clenching _ at what she’d just read, watching her grandmother nod solemnly.

“There’s nothing  _ to _ say,” the older said, voice soft and a little sad.

She turned the pages slowly, noting Yuri’s neater handwriting, inhaling deeply before continuing.

“ _ I’d always been a bit pathetic when I was sick, and it felt like all my life, Jisung was the only one who knew how to make it better besides my own mother.  _

_ I hadn’t told Jisung in fear he would come to me and we’d feel that divide we’d been trying so actively to avoid since we’d kissed all those nights ago. But somehow he’d found out, and- sick and miserable- I’d been so  _ relieved _ to see him, not knowing how badly I’d needed him until he was there. _

_ A few hours passed as we slept together, and I woke up later, my fever finally broken from the medication. With a clearer head and my thoughts a little easier to get a handle on, I decided this dilemma had gone on long enough. _

_ We  _ needed  _ to talk about it.” _

* * *

* * *

Yuri stirred a little, slowly coming into consciousness as she took a deep, even breath.

_ Fresh cut grass _

Her eyes opened slowly, and she realized her forehead was pressed into the tan skin of Jisung’s arm, and he was laying next to her, inhaling and exhaling evenly, telling her he was still fast asleep.

She was  _ drenched _ in sweat, and right away, Yuri could tell how much better she felt. Her body aches were almost completely gone, and her throat wasn’t as unbearably painful. Yuri buried her nose into Jisung for a second, inhaling again as she started remembering what she’d said.

_ “I don’t want the space between us anymore,” Yuri wasn’t thinking clearly, just knew she was upset he wasn’t closer, a wall between them that neither seemed able to break. “I hate it so much.” _

_ “I know,” he replied, sounding so incredibly  _ sad _. “Me too.” _

Yuri pried her fingers from his arm, knowing she needed to get up; to clear her muddled head and eat again.

She was  _ starving _ .

Sitting up slowly, she glanced at Jisung, smiling automatically at the sight of him.

Her best friend had always been adorable in sleep- she thought it might be his cheeks- and this moment was no different, the messy strands of his hair splayed across his forehead, mouth just slightly open, other arm above his head, hand resting atop her pillow. He was wearing a simple, navy blue campus t-shirt and a black pair of sweatpants. His legs were slightly curled in, like he’d tried to roll onto his side but couldn’t find the room.

_ So handsome _

Yuri quickly jerked her head back and forth-  _ stop thinking like that _ \- hurriedly sitting up the rest of the way and ignoring the slight dizzy feeling she had from the fast movements. 

As quietly as she could, she kneeled down to look through the bag Jisung had brought, finding a cup of ramen- her favorite flavor- pulling it out and smiling a little. She made her way to the electric tea kettle Jaeun always had filled with water, pouring some into the ramen before placing it in the microwave, cringing when she realized how  _ loud _ the beeps of the buttons were.

Yuri glanced at Jisung as the microwave started to hum, but he was still fast asleep, rolled over on his side now that he had the room, his hair completely constricting his eyes. 

She stared unseeingly at the ramen as it spun, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

It was time she and Jisung talked.

Yuri knew this had gone on long enough, and that if they wanted things to start going  _ completely _ back to normal, they’d have to sit down and acknowledge what happened. Recognize what a stupid mistake that night was and then move forward. It seemed avoiding the subject would forever hinder complete progress and destroy the hope of them being how they used to be.

If they could just  _ have  _ the hard conversation, then- as Yuri always said-  _ This too, shall pass _ .

They could go back to being best friends again.

The timer went off- she hadn’t caught it in time- and she saw him shifting on the bed, the arm above his head coming down to wipe at his face.

She could hear him groaning softly as her mattress squeaked and she fought the urge to giggle; Jisung was always a little cranky sounding when he woke up.

Pulling the ramen from the microwave, she grabbed two sets of chopsticks. She turned around just in time to see Jisung sitting up, pushing his body backwards until he was against her wall, using a hand to brush his hair out of his face.

Yuri ignored to the flip of her stomach as she watched, his eyes finding hers, still a little blurry with sleep.

“Hi,” he said lowly, gaze darting to the ramen in her hands.

“Hey.”

She handed the cup to him and he took it as he scooted over, watching her climb onto the mattress. 

Once she was settled, she handed over a set of chopsticks, Jisung fixing them between his fingers before Yuri was taking the bowl back. 

“Thanks,” his voice was a little rough from sleep, like always, and she turned to look at him.

“You’re welcome.”

They were silent for a moment as they took their first bites, Yuri making sure to hold the ramen carefully in between them. Sitting back down, she felt all over again just how  _ tired _ she was- still sick- but she also noticed the way Jisung kept glancing at her, a nervous flicker in his eyes as they darted to the space between them. Her bed just wasn’t big enough, and they were the closest they’d been in a while as they leaned against the wall behind her bed.

And she felt the tension would forever stay until she cut it with the words neither of them wanted to speak out loud.

They were halfway through the ramen before Yuri found the courage to talk, speaking quietly.

“ _ I _ should be the one saying thank you.” 

“For what?” he asked, his eyes avoiding her own as he dug his chopsticks back into the bowl.

“You  _ know _ what,” she replied, a light laugh slipping from her lips as she watched him take a bite of the noodles. “You didn’t have to come take care of me.”

_ You didn’t have to take care of me when there’s so much left unsaid _

It’s what she’d meant to say, but the words hadn’t come out right.

Jisung swallowed his food, eyes finally finding her own as he answered.

“I know how you get when you’re sick.”

There was a small, one-sided grin pulling on the corner of his lips, his voice slightly teasing. She smiled right back, feeling her chest warm just a little at the  _ familiarity _ , the two of them looking at one another for a moment.

But this day was no different than the rest had been for the past month, Yuri feeling the tension slip right back in place, settling thickly between them once more. She watched Jisung’s smile fade as his eyes darted to the ramen, quickly digging in to take another bite. Yuri’s chest was going cold again as she resisted the urge to bump her shoulder against his- like they  _ used _ to.

She took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” Yuri muttered softly, throat still a little scratchy.

Jisung heard the distress in her voice, his eyes meeting hers again.

“For what?”

But Yuri wasn’t laughing this time at the question, knowing her best friend wasn’t going to acknowledge it- that he was  _ stubborn _ and she’d have to be the brave one this time.

The ramen was empty, and she tilted the bowl, telling Jisung to drop his chopsticks in before she was setting it behind her on the nightstand. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she faced him once more, Jisung’s eyes roaming down the features of her face, reading her like always.

“I should’ve never suggested it,” she answered quietly. “I should’ve never brought up the idea-”

There was a bubble in her throat at the truth of her words; for the last couple of weeks, it’s all Yuri could  _ think _ , on the nights she couldn’t fall asleep. That if she wouldn’t have made the suggestion they practice kissing, the two of them would be perfectly fine right now. 

“It’s honestly all my fault.”

There was strain in her voice as she spoke, eyes leaving his slightly widened ones as she played with the fabric of the comforter between them.

“Yu.”

She looked up, watching him swallow and press his lips together before he spoke.

“I agreed,” he continued, a sharp regret there that pulled on her insides. “It’s not all your fault.”

They were silent again, the tension nearly suffocating now as she saw the way his eyebrows furrowed in clear frustration, and Yuri could read him well enough to know that Jisung wanted this to be over just as badly as she did. That they were both tired of not being able to breathe together, when just a month ago, they were the light of each other's lives.

Yuri just wanted the clouds to fade.

His hand was resting there on the mattress, just inches from hers, and before she lost her nerve, Yuri reached forward, tentatively touching her fingers to his own.

“Can we just forget?”

The words were so quiet they were nearly inaudible, and she glanced up in time to see Jisung swallowing hard, eyes trained on her fingers against his own.

“Please?”

If they could just push it away, Yuri thought they’d be alright; they just had to let it go.

Jisung still wasn’t looking at her, his hand twitching a little beneath her touch.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, we need to.”

Yuri’s stomach was twisting up at the way he sounded- so  _ stressed _ \- and she knew he’d been just as wound tight by this situation as she was; that he missed her, too.

Her body was tired- her  _ mind _ was tired- and she felt her weight rest more heavily against the wall behind her, fingers intertwining with his own.

“We’ll just pretend,” she told him. “Act like it didn’t happen.”

It was hard to say that when she still felt her throat tighten as his fingers were folding with her own, her heart skipping a beat at the warmth it brought her. Yuri could feel poisonous doubt trickling into her mind when her arm had goosebumps rising slowly at his touch, and her stomach was filling with butterflies as his eyes met hers.

“Okay,” he breathed, nodding once as he swallowed hard once more.

But Yuri couldn’t pay attention to the details when she was so relieved to have Jisung there again- to have gotten the courage to talk about it, and hope that eventually, everything would be okay.

She pulled her hand from his, body growing weak as her medication began to wear off. He glanced at their hands before he watched her slide slowly onto the bed, burying herself back under the covers. But it wasn’t warm enough, and she glanced up as her head hit the pillow, Jisung’s eyes still on her.

“Stay with me?” she asked hopefully, knowing she wouldn’t sleep the same without him.

He stared at her for a long moment and she could see the struggle in his eyes, buried in his own head. 

_ We’re supposed to pretend _ , Yuri wanted to tell him, but felt too tired to get the words out.

She wanted him to know that until they acted like nothing happened, it would always feel like something  _ did _ .

But it seemed Jisung came to that conclusion himself, slipping down the wall until he was laying beside her, turning to look at her face.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I’ll stay.”

Yuri watched his adam’s apple bob up and down as she rolled onto her side, pressing her face back into his arm, the comfort of him feeling so much warmer than the comforter draped around her body. She glanced up, watching his eyes slipping closed before her eyelids felt heavy as well, tucking herself back against him.

And even with her heart still racing in her chest and the slight vibration in every vein beneath her skin as she laid close to him, Yuri felt just a little bit better.

Things were still weird, but maybe eventually, they could just…  _ forget _ .


	14. Chapter 14

“ _ That’s _ her plan?” Jiae asked incredulously, scowling a little as she looked up again. “To  _ forget _ ?”

Grandma Kim was smiling again, nodding once in answer.

“ _ Ugh _ ,” she shook her head, turning the pages. “I mean… I guess I’m proud of them for finally talking about it.”

Sighing, she knew that’s originally what she’d wanted.

“I’m actually surprised it took Yuri so long,” Jiae joked, smiling a little. “Since she’s not a  _ beat around the bush _ kind of girl.”

“Yes,” her grandmother laughed. “I’m very surprised, too…”

Jiae glanced back at the pages, noticing another week had passed.

“I think you’ll enjoy this part,” Grandma Kim said, a twinkle in her eye as she looked at the younger.

“Really?” she asked excitedly. “Why?”

But of course, the older wasn’t going to answer.

So without hesitation, she began to read Yuri’s familiar writing.

“ _ I got over my sickness by that Sunday, and for the rest of the week, things with Jisung and I felt like they were getting better. He messed up my hair like he used to when I made a stupid joke in the cafe with Chan and Jaeun, and I hit him on the arm like I always did when he made fun of me on our way to class. _

_ I still felt funny, when I touched him-  _ different _ \- but I knew I was supposed to be pretending and forgetting, and I would stick to the plan until all the bizarre reactions wore off. _

_ Just two days before the next weekend, Sehun had told me about a huge party coming up on campus, and invited me to meet him there, if I wanted to. I thought it sounded fun- my first official college party- and when I’d brought it up to everyone else, it seemed Chan  _ and _ Jisung already knew about it. The older had been planning on asking them to go that day and Jisung had found out in Biology. _

Nari _ had invited him… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Saturday, December 1, 2018_ **

Jaeun and Yuri were walking quickly down the campus sidewalks, giggling together as they shivered in the cold.

“ _ Why _ did we decide to wear skirts?” Yuri whined, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “It’s freaking  _ December _ .”

“I know,” Jaeun was laughing, holding herself as well against the cold. “We’re so stupid.”

They’d gotten ready together at the dorm, and Yuri was the quiet one for once, listening to Jaeun tell her all about Chan; because the two of them were-  _ finally _ \- officially dating.

Her roommate told her how Chan had nervously pulled her aside at the cafe, asking her if she’d like to go on a  _ real _ date together. Of course Jaeun had said yes, and it turns out, the older had bought them two tickets to an amusement park. 

Jaeun had such a brightness in her eyes as she told Yuri all the details; how they’d rode almost  _ everything _ , even the scariest roller coasters there, and how they’d been  _ freezing _ , riding one of the water rides that stayed open and had to warm up with hot chocolate. She told her all about Chan and how he held her hand and bought her rainbow cotton candy, and how they’d accidentally dropped a whole bag of popcorn, laughing at a joke Jaeun had made.

Yuri had smiled when Jaeun went on to tell her how Chan had brought her back to the dorm, and they’d kissed beneath the stars like a romantic movie, and she’d admitted to Yuri she’s never felt this way about anyone else; that Chan felt so  _ different _ .

And to be honest, Yuri believed that; those two  _ seemed _ different.

Like they were made for each other.

“Are you a little curious about Nari?” Jaeun asked as the frat houses up the road finally became visible. 

“What?” Yuri turned to her roommate. “I mean, I guess…”

To be honest, she was  _ more  _ than a little curious about what Nari was like; how she had hooked Jisung so fast. But she thought she had a pretty good idea; her best friend was fairly predictable.

“I just want to know what she looks like,” Jaeun continued with a giggle. “Jisung talks about her like she’s the hottest chick in the world.”

Yuri laughed at that, shaking her head; he definitely  _ did _ .

They walked quickly down the street, and Jaeun got a text from Chan that he and Jisung were already there. The girls were relieved when they finally approached the front door of the frat house, the music so loud they could feel the vibrating bass beneath their feet.

Walking inside, it was like something out of a TV show; people  _ everywhere _ with red solo cups and skimpy clothes. The music was nearly deafening as it carried throughout the two story house, and Yuri’s eyes widened a little when she saw a couple kissing against the wall, right there in the open for everyone to see.

Somewhat awkwardly, she and Jaeun made their way through the throngs of students, finding Jisung and Chan waiting near the kitchen like they’d said. The older was waving enthusiastically at them, his eyes widening in surprise when they were wandering up and down Jaeun’s body in clear appreciation.

Yuri would’ve rolled her eyes or made a joke, but she felt an odd stutter in her chest at the sight of Jisung, who was waving as well with a bright smile on his face. 

He was wearing a black button-up shirt- he  _ never _ wore those- rolled up to the elbows with his same, chain bracelet hanging loosely around his wrist. His hair was thick and messy as always, but it was hanging a little in his eyes and he wasn’t fixing it, bringing both arms back to his sides and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark skinny jeans. 

Jisung was  _ handsome _ again, and Yuri tried hard to shake the thought, reminding herself for the thousandth time that she wasn’t supposed to be thinking like that.

They were supposed to be forgetting.

“Hey!”

Yuri smiled at her best friend, talking loudly over the music as he grinned right back, eyes pulling up to meet her own.

“Hey!”

They both turned to Jaeun and Chan, who were looking lovingly at each other before glancing at the pair.

“When’s Nari coming?”

Jisung pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, checking the screen and glancing at his roommate.

“She said she’s walking in right now.”

They all turned to the hallway leading into the kitchen, and Yuri was surprised by the impeccable timing as a  _ beautiful  _ girl walked in, her eyes searching the room.

“Nari!”

Jisung lifted his hand to wave again, and the girl immediately spotted him, her face breaking into a pretty smile before she was making a beeline straight towards them. She moved until she was standing next to Jisung, still smiling as she looked around at everyone.

“Guys, this is Nari,” he introduced her with a grin, pointing to each one of them as he listed off their names. “This is Chan, Jaeun and Yuri.”

Yuri waved back with the other two, trying to keep her jaw from hitting the floor.

Nari was really,  _ really _ hot

Her face was  _ flawless _ , with an almond shape to her eyes that gave her a naturally sexy look. The rest of her features were just as perfect- small nose, full, pink lips, a heart-shaped face- and her hair was long and flowy, like dark-brown silk down her back. She was wearing tight clothes- a skirt just like Yuri and Jaeun, with a long sleeved shirt that clung to the generous curves of her body- and Yuri was amazed at how beautiful the girl’s  _ skin _ even was, almost glowing in the light of the kitchen.

She was  _ shocked _ .

Yuri watched as Nari wrapped both hands around Jisung’s arm, grinning flirtily up at him before turning to the rest of them once more.

“It’s so nice to meet you guys.”

Her voice was sultry and lovely, and had a playful edge to it that made Yuri wonder if this girl could be all the way trusted.

“Nice to meet you too,” Jaeun and Chan said together, laughing at their synchronization and Yuri yanked her eyes from Jisung’s arm wrapped securely in Nari’s grip.

“Yeah,” she said with a quick nod. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

She smiled, playing nervously with the hem of her shirt.

Chan said something to Jisung about what party games they’d play, and they talked for a moment as Jaeun laughed and Nari occasionally joined in, Yuri’s stomach turning a little, feeling…  _ odd _ .

She watched as Nari slid a hand down to play with the bracelet on Jisung’s wrist- like an old habit- fingering the chain as she continued the conversation. Yuri’s eyes followed Nari’s other hand as it reached for Jisung’s hair, fingers playfully fixing the strands as if she did that all the time, like it was  _ natural _ for them-

She felt a sharp  _ heat _ in her throat, and quickly pulled her phone out, checking the device for any messages from Sehun.

_ What the hell is wrong with you? _

She was being a little too judgemental, watching this Nari girl as closely as she was; of course it was natural for her to touch Jisung like that, they’d been talking for a while.

_ Does she have to touch him so much? _

Yuri was pulling the text app open, hurriedly typing a message to Sehun as she scowled at her own thoughts.

**Yuri (9:34pm):**

_ Hey where are you? :) I’m here now! _

She kept the phone in her hand, glancing up when Nari giggled at something Jisung had said, the hand that’d been in his hair now running down the length of his arm before intertwining their fingers together-

Her stomach turned again, and Yuri swallowed hard, the device in her hand finally buzzing.

**Sehun (9:35pm):**

_ I can see you _

Yuri’s eyes immediately searched the kitchen until she saw Sehun’s handsome face looking right at her, a slight, nonchalant smile on his face as he gave her a single wave. She was relieved to see him- give her a chance to get her head on a straight- and she quickly waved back, shoving her phone back in her pocket.

“You guys wanna meet Sehun?” she asked, interrupting the conversation as all four of them turned to look at her.

They all agreed amicably, and she led the way quickly across the kitchen where Sehun was leaned against the counter, a bottle of something in his hands as he spoke to two other guys who looked a bit older, Yuri assuming they were his art friends. 

“Hi!” she greeted him happily, her eyes roaming up and down his perfect body before she could help it.

All white t-shirt, ripped black pants, and perfectly styled hair, Sehun looked like a model, still smiling as his eyes darted between each of them.

“These are my friends I’ve been telling you about!”

She introduced them all- Jisung, Chan, Jaeun, and Nari- and Sehun politely bowed to each of them, greeting them with a friendly hello before motioning to the two guys with him.

“This is Suho,” he said, pointing to the shorter of the two. “And this is Kai. They’re majoring in art with me.”

They all stood and talked for a little bit, discussing how they got invited to the party, what they were all majoring in, and how winter break was just around the corner. Jisung stepped away with Nari, and Yuri forced herself not to watch them go, her insides still twisting uncomfortably when she looked at them.

There was something about Nari that was rubbing her the wrong way- something  _ snaky _ \- and she didn’t like it. Yuri’s blood boiled just thinking about how the girl’s hands had never left Jisung’s arm, like he was her  _ possession _ or something.

But Yuri was fighting with herself, because none of Jisung’s girlfriends had ever been  _ angels _ , so why did she think Nari would be any different? And why did she care so much?

_ I just don’t want him to get hurt _

Yuri wasn’t a fan of how Jisung looked at Nari like she was the only girl in the room, wandering eyes appreciating her almost  _ blinding _ beauty. She didn’t like how  _ into _ her he seemed when he barely knew her, and Nari had a vibe that made her seem like she couldn’t be trusted.

She didn’t like seeing Jisung’s hand intertwined with Nari’s as if they were a couple when they hadn’t even gone on an official date.

_ Isn’t he moving a little fast? _

The thoughts made no sense- she’d known Sehun just as long and she’d held his hand plenty of times- but then she was arguing with herself again, thinking she and  _ Sehun _ had at least gone on a date already.

_ Why do you care? _

“Oh hey,” Sehun turned, breaking her from her thoughts and reaching behind him on the counter. “I got you this.”

It was a beer- a  _ stout _ beer, the color dark as Yuri peeked inside of the open bottle before taking it from Sehun’s hand.

“It’s Irish,” he told her simply, lifting up his own, identical bottle. “I think you’ll like it.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled up at him and Sehun nodded before turning away to listen to the conversation once more, Yuri sniffing hesitantly at the beer. It was a bitter smell and she felt her nose twitch, knowing she probably would  _ not _ like the drink at all.

She’d never been a big fan of beer.

Just then, Jisung and Nari came back to their circle, still hand in hand. Yuri’s eyes darted to that before she saw Jisung smiling right at her, holding up two glass bottles filled with a light pink liquid.

“They’ve got  _ Jamaican Me Crazy _ ,” he told her happily, shaking them a little. “I know that’s your-”

But he stopped when his eyes landed on the bottle she was already holding, and Yuri watched his smile fade ever so slightly.

“Oh, my bad,” he laughed a little, shaking his hair from his face. 

“Sehun got it for me,” she told him, smiling up at the man before turning to Jisung. “I’m sorry, I can just drink that after-”

Yuri wished she could drink it  _ now _ \- she loved  _ Jamaican Me Crazy _ and it’s fruity flavor- but she felt rude not drinking the beer Sehun had gotten her.

“Nah, it’ll get warm,” he waved her off, holding the bottle up for Jaeun. “You want this?”

“Sure!” her roommate took it with a smile.

Yuri watched Nari laugh, her thumb swiping gently along the back of Jisung’s hand and she quickly took a swig of her drink, trying very hard not to  _ cringe _ at the taste.

She’d been right; she still wasn’t a big fan of beer.

* * *

* * *

Jiae felt a slow smile spreading across her face as she turned the pages, looking at her grandmother with wide eyes.

“Oh my gosh,” she gasped. “Yuri is  _ jealous _ . She is  _ totally _ jealous!”

Grandma Kim laughed loudly, still rocking back and forth in her chair. 

“Is Jisung jealous, too?” Jiae was thinking out loud, noticing his handwriting now filled the next pages. “I can’t tell, it’s hard. I guess he tried to give her that drink… but if he really looks as in love with Nari as Yuri says-”

The older just motioned towards the journal, still chuckling slightly.

“Just  _ read _ , dear.”

“Right.”

Jiae cleared her throat, continuing out loud.

“ _ We stayed with Sehun and his friends and talked for a while, all of us finishing off one or two drinks and relaxing under the influence of alcohol. _

_ Chan and Jaeun ran off early on, telling us all they wanted to play some beer pong, laughing as usual before leaving. Nari and I lingered with Sehun and Yuri for a little bit, sipping on our drinks and talking. _

_ Eventually, however, we split up, and I was alone with Nari…” _

* * *

* * *

Jisung was four drinks in now, starting to feel the alcohol quite a bit as Nari sat next to him on the couch, talking about one of her classes. 

“I just hope I pass,” she was saying with a sigh, one of her hands reaching up to run through her long, shiny hair. “I don’t want to have to re-take it.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he replied quickly, grinning down at her. “You’re a lot smarter than you think.”

He thought that a lot about Nari; that it seemed almost weird to him, that she struggled so much with their Biology homework. When she talked, she seemed pretty intelligent to  _ him _ , and when they worked on the things together, it was almost like she was just  _ distracted _ , not confused, and if she’d give it a little more effort, she’d probably come up with the answers on her own.

But none of that really mattered, if he was being honest; he was just glad Nari had sat next to him that day.

Her hand was resting on the spot just above his knee, and he felt warmer than usual from the alcohol, as she squeezed his leg before standing up.

“I’ll be right back,” she told him with a flirty smile, face close to his own. “Bathroom.”

Jisung nodded, and she bit her lip for a moment, his eyes darting to the movement, before she was walking away, and he was watching her go.

She was wearing a skirt again, like she  _ knew _ it was his weakness.

He sighed, taking the last sip of his drink before setting the bottle on the table next to him, eyes wandering to the kitchen.

Jisung had been surprised when he saw  _ Yuri _ was wearing a skirt, too.

He’d only seen her wear those a handful of times- she was definitely a leggings and t-shirt kind of girl- and seeing her in one tonight had  _ shocked _ him a little. 

She was still standing in the kitchen with Sehun and his friends, sipping slowly on the same beer she’d had since the beginning of the party, and even from where he was sitting, he could tell Yuri didn’t like the taste.

_ Why doesn’t she tell him? _

It was a dynamic that Jisung caught onto quickly, when he’d stood with all of them as they talked; Yuri held back a bit with Sehun.

After Chan and Jaeun had left, he and Nari had stayed for a bit, but it wasn’t long before Jisung had grown a little restless and they’d politely parted ways. He hadn’t felt like standing there all night with Sehun and his super artsy friends; they all seemed kind of  _ boring _ if you asked him.

_ Why is she  _ with  _ him? _

It annoyed Jisung, really, that Yuri seemed like she was just as restless as he felt standing there with those guys, and yet she stayed quiet by his side, sipping dutifully on the dark beer. Yuri wasn’t  _ quiet _ ; if she was bored or wanted to change the subject, she just  _ did it _ , and seeing her so…  _ not her _ really rubbed him the wrong way.

_ Why is she so into this Sehun guy? _

To Jisung, it seemed like Sehun couldn’t care less, if Yuri was there or not. The man smiled down at her on occasion, and seemed fine with her presence, but if Jisung didn’t know they were dating already, he  _ wouldn’t _ know, because Sehun hardly gave her any attention. He didn’t hold her hand or touch her in any way. He hadn’t admired how good she looked tonight, when they’d walked up like Jisung had accidentally noticed when he’d first seen Yuri. She wasn’t adding much to the conversation- which was so  _ not _ her- and Sehun didn’t seem to notice  _ that _ either.

To be honest, seeing all of that made him feel kind of  _ sick _ ; Jisung just didn’t get it.

Nari came back rather quickly, interrupting his train of thought as he tore his eyes from Yuri and Sehun in the kitchen.

“It’s kind of loud in here,” she said with a smile, eyes wandering up and down his body. “Should we go somewhere we can talk a little better?”

Jisung knew that’s not  _ quite _ what she meant, and the innuendo had him standing rather quickly, Nari already taking his hand in her own. 

“Yeah,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “Let’s go.”

She giggled before leading the way, pulling him through the jumble of people as they made their way to the stairs, heading quickly up the steps. The second level was just as spacious as the first, several hallways on either side of them, but Nari seemed to know where to go, turning right.

Up ahead and slightly hidden, there was a small red couch, and she smiled back at him before making her way straight towards it, both of them collapsing onto the cushions at the same time.

“ _ Much _ better,” she said softly.

Her hand was still holding his while the other reached up, fixing some loose strands of his hair as she looked at him.

“You’re so hot,” she told him playfully, making him laugh. “You’re not fair.”

“Thanks,” he replied, the alcohol making his head a little fuzzy. “But you too.”

They hadn’t kissed since that night in front of her dorm, and Jisung had a feeling this might happen again; that they’d have another opportunity.

The first time hadn’t gone quite the way he’d hoped.

Her hand pulled from his hair as she bit her lip, resting back on the spot just above his knee again before she was talking.

“You know what would be genius?” her voice was teasing again, as she leaned a little closer. “If we study for the final coming up, we use your study guide… But we have a reward system, every time one of us gets the answer right.”

Her hand slid up his leg a little further, and Jisung felt his body stiffen at the touch, raising his eyebrows.

“Like… what kind of reward?” he played along, speaking lowly as he grinned. “There’s a lot of questions on that study guide.”

The whole conversation was quite  _ sexy _ , and Jisung watched as she untangled her fingers from his own, sliding her hand up the length of his arm before cupping the back of his neck, threading them through his hair.

“Whatever you want,” she replied quietly, leaning a little closer, her hand sliding even further up his thigh. “It’s  _ your  _ study guide, after all.”

They were both a little too intoxicated to come up with anything more to say, but they didn’t need to, Jisung leaning forward and pressing his lips hard against hers, knowing that’s exactly what she wanted.

She hummed a little in pleasant surprise before her fingers were tightening in his hair and Jisung’s hand was running up the bare skin of her thigh,  _ excited _ .

He turned his head, deepening the kiss, letting his other hand caress her shoulder through the thin fabric of her shirt, ready for the distraction he was so desperately looking for. Nari was  _ sexy _ \- like no other girl he’d been with before- and her hand sliding along his skin was supposed to send a  _ heat _ through his veins, telling him how much he was into it.

Nari’s lips moving against his own was supposed to be intoxicating, something that had him unable to think straight, only  _ feel _ -

_ Jisung couldn’t think straight, feeling Yuri’s fingers slide into the strands of his hair, a sound catching in his throat at the way she gripped it, just a little. Then her other hand was coming up to run through the strands too, and Jisung was leaning back automatically with the movement, Yuri moving with him to keep the rhythm of their lips. _

_ He was deepening the kiss on pure instinct, his hand resting on the spot just above her knee, fingers twitching a little against her skin, the other sliding down the curve of her side- _

Jisung pulled his lips from Nari’s, resting his forehead against hers as he tried to suppress his memories, feeling  _ angry _ .

He didn’t want to think about Yuri right now; that she was downstairs with Sehun who seemed like he could care less about her. He didn’t want to think about this stupid  _ kiss _ he’d shared with his best friend and how much it’d been consuming his life ever since. Jisung didn’t want to keep thinking about how much he missed her, and how much more was going on in his head when he looked at her, like she was anything  _ more _ , like he  _ wanted _ more-

Nari was still threading her fingers through his hair, and she’d caught her breath, pressing her lips to his once again, unaware of his internal struggle. Jisung could feel his heart racing in his chest- anger, frustration,  _ fear _ \- coursing through his veins as he took control of the kiss, sliding his hand a little further up Nari’s leg, desperately searching for the outlet he needed.

He was so tired of  _ thinking _ .

* * *

* * *

“So, Jisung  _ is _ jealous,” Jiae said slowly, eyes wide. “And he… he  _ does _ feel something for Yuri…”

Grandma Kim smiled coyly, and Jiae was already turning the pages quickly.

“I mean, I knew he  _ did _ of course, but I just-”

Her eyes roamed along the text- Yuri’s point of view again- before she was looking at her grandmother.

“-I was waiting for him to recognize it.”

The older nodded, still grinning a little, and Jiae knew her grandmother was waiting for her to continue. She did quickly, shifting a little in her chair before she began.

“ _ After Nari and Jisung had left, I spent the majority of that night standing next to Sehun, sipping slowly on the beer he’d given me. _

_ I tried not to look; not to see the way Nari’s hands never seemed to leave Jisung as they sat together on the couch, talking close, smiling and laughing flirtily together. I tried not to care- knew I  _ shouldn’t _ care- but it was hard, and I hated that it was. _

_ Standing there with Sehun, I was  _ bored _ , as he and his friends talked about their classes and an exhibit coming to town that I just didn’t care about, no matter how much I wished I did. He hadn’t said much to me at all, but he would smile my way every once in a while, and I would smile back, trying to ignore the strange, hollow feeling I had in my chest. _

_ But it wasn’t until later, when Jisung and Nari had disappeared and I’d walked away for a moment, that I realized just how bad things had really gotten…” _

* * *

* * *

“Wait, when does the exhibit come to Seoul?” Suho asked, sipping on the beer in his hand as he looked curiously between Sehun and Kai.

“Next week I thought,” Kai replied, looking a little unsure. “Right?”

“Yeah, it’s next week,” Sehun confirmed, nodding a little. “Apparently, they’ll have-”

Yuri took a deep breath, finishing off the rest of her drink, feeling  _ annoyed _ .

How long had they been just standing here  _ talking _ ?

She was bored-  _ beyond _ bored- and she couldn’t think of a polite way to tell Sehun and his friends that she could think of a thousand things she’d rather be doing at a party than standing in the kitchen, nursing a dark, warm beer,  _ conversing _ .

Didn’t anyone want to  _ do _ something?

If she would’ve stayed with her friends- with  _ Jisung _ \- things would be so much different. They would’ve tried some beer pong- maybe even challenged Chan and Jaeun- and probably would’ve gotten a bit adventurous with their drinking. They might’ve people-watched like they used to do back in the day, when they’d go to the mall together- and then when they were nice and drunk, they would’ve walked home to watch movies and pass out in her dorm.

And the fact that she was having those thoughts- that she was  _ still _ thinking about Jisung- was driving her nuts. That she was standing there with Sehun and nothing had changed- he was not what she thought he’d be- and she was still fighting the stinging bile in her throat at the thought of  _ Nari _ …

It all had her wishing she’d never come to this stupid party.

“I’ll be right back,” Yuri’s voice was a little off- it’d been a while since she’d spoken- as she looked between the guys. 

They nodded and smiled politely- Sehun’s eyes lingering on her for only a few seconds longer than the rest before she was turning around, in search of a bathroom so she could pee and maybe splash some cold water on her face.

Get a  _ grip _ .

Yuri headed down the hallway, dropping her empty bottle of beer in the trash on her way out, thoughts overlapping one another as she pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep, even breath.

There was a side of her that couldn’t stop thinking about  _ Sehun _ , and how much it just wasn’t working out. How she’d been with him for almost a month now, and had yet to feel a  _ thing _ . She kept thinking it was her thoughts- her mind, her own life  _ stress _ \- that was keeping her from a connection, but Yuri wondered if there was never going to  _ be _ one.

Or maybe this was another one of those nights where she was too preoccupied with herself to give him a chance.

Because all night, she’d been looking at Jisung, and the way Nari held him tight, and how much that made her sick. She’d been suspicious of the beautiful girl and whether she had some kind of hidden agenda with her best friend, not trusting her for a second. 

Yuri passed the hall bathroom- the door closed, light on- making her way to the stairs and walking slowly to the second floor.

There was something about Nari that rubbed her the wrong way; a glimmer of mischief in her eyes that made her skin crawl, the girl’s fingers dragging along Jisung’s arm making Yuri so  _ angry _ .

And it was that reaction alone- that almost  _ resentment _ inside of her- that made Yuri wonder what the real problem was. 

Was it Nari? 

Or was it Nari with  _ Jisung _ ?

She made it up the stairs, blindly making a right at the top as she bit her lip, deep in thought.

But she couldn’t be  _ jealous _ \- she  _ wasn’t _ jealous. She’d seen Jisung with plenty of girls before- their whole high school career he had girlfriends- and she’d never batted an eye. Yuri had never cared about Kyungmi or Stacy or Eunae…

So she  _ wasn’t _ jealous; Yuri was just concerned for her best friend and the snake that hung on his arm.

She kept walking down the hallway- Jaeun had mentioned early in the night that there was a bathroom at each end of the house if anyone needed to find one- but she slowed down when she saw a couch up ahead, two people sitting on it, looking  _ close _ \- 

And with a jolt that ran through her entire body, she realized it was Nari and  _ Jisung _ , his hand running slowly through her long, beautiful hair, their lips locked together. Her fingers were gripping Jisung’s dark brown strands, and his other hand was resting on Nari’s thigh, their eyes closed, kissing  _ passionately _ -

_ Shit shit shit _

Yuri couldn’t think straight- couldn’t think at _ all _ \- tearing her eyes away as she felt her heart start to pound erratically in her chest.

Time was slow for a moment, her stomach twisting tightly-  _ painfully _ \- hands trembling as she shoved them into the pockets of her skirt.

_ Why are you so upset? _

But she didn’t want to answer that, not when the bile was rising up in her throat again and she had to swallow down the burn, finally  _ moving _ and running clumsily back down the stairs. 

She couldn’t shake the image from her mind- Jisung’s lips on Nari’s, his fingers caressing her leg, her hands threaded messily through his hair-

Yuri was going to be sick, she needed  _ air _ , and she quickly made her way to the sliding glass door in the living room, walking out onto the deck as she took a shaky breath in.

_ You’ve seen Jisung kiss girls before _

Of course she had- Eunae at the bus stop every day after school, and Stacy in the makeup room in theater when Yuri had come backstage to visit him and accidentally walked in. She’d never reacted like this- never been so  _ angry _ \- and it was hard for her to believe this could just be her bad gut feelings about Nari.

Yuri walked by the beer pong table set up, passed by the many people clustered throughout the small area talking and laughing, barely seeing them as she moved to the far end of the deck where hardly anyone was at, leaning against the railing and inhaling slowly again.

There were tears prickling the corners of her eyes now and it was so  _ ridiculous _ \- how could this be happening right now? Why was she so  _ enraged _ by this?

Why did she feel so  _ hurt _ ?

“Yuri?”

The sound of Jaeun’s voice made her jump, and she quickly turned around, vision slightly blurry.

“Jaeun,” she breathed, attempting a small smile. “I didn’t see you.”

“I know,” the girl replied, walking slowly until she was leaned against the railing beside her. “I saw you run by.”

They were quiet for a moment, Yuri turning away as she pressed her lips together, unsure what to say.

“You saw Nari and Jisung-” Jaeun finally said, breaking the silence. “-didn’t you?”

Yuri turned to her with wide eyes, so shocked her roommate  _ knew _ she didn’t have time to deny it.

“How did you-?”

“I went up there like ten minutes ago to use the bathroom,” the girl replied, smiling gently. “I uh… I saw them there and went to the other one instead.”

It was quiet once more as Yuri realized what this looked like; like she was about to  _ cry  _ over Jisung kissing another girl.

_ That’s exactly what’s going on _

“Yuri…”

Jaeun hesitated, sounding unsure.

“Did something…  _ happen _ ? The night we celebrated midterms?”

And Yuri wanted so badly to lie.

She wanted to tell her roommate that  _ nothing  _ had happened- maybe laugh a little and ask her what in the world would make her think that. Yuri wanted to smile and shrug it off like she’d been doing all month, and just  _ pretend _ , like she’d so brilliantly decided she’d do just last week with Jisung.

But she didn’t have the energy to do it anymore, and she had a feeling Jaeun already knew the answer before she asked it.

“Yes,” Yuri whispered, hanging her head a little. “Yeah… something did.”

Jaeun was silent, not pushy in any way, and it encouraged Yuri to keep going- to get this  _ burden _ off her shoulders.

“We kissed,” she went on softly. “Jisung and I. It was just supposed to be for practice; for my date with  _ Sehun _ . It’d been a while and I thought I wouldn’t be good and we came up with the idea, and I just…”

She was getting emotional swallowing around the lump in her throat as she felt her fingers curl into the wood of the railing.

“It wasn’t supposed to  _ mean  _ anything,” she said somewhat desperately. “But when we kissed, I felt- it was just-”

Yuri struggled with her words.

“It was a lot better than I expected,” she admitted quietly. “And Jaeun, I didn’t know what to  _ do _ . We were just kissing, and then we weren’t, and then we woke up the next day and I just- I couldn’t stop  _ thinking  _ about it-”

Jaeun’s eyebrows were furrowed in worry for her, as she listened patiently.

“I thought we’d be alright, if we just ignored it, but that made it worse,” Yuri kept going, the words pouring from her mouth before she could stop them. “And then when I was sick, I talked to him about it, because I thought  _ acknowledging _ would help it instead, and then we could just pretend it didn’t happen until we could forget about it-”

She buried her face into her palms, realizing how incredibly  _ stupid _ this whole thing was; how messed up it had gotten.

“I don’t feel anything with Sehun,” she muttered, slowly lowering her hands again. “And I don’t know if it’s  _ me _ or if it’s  _ us _ , or Jisung is just… taking over my brain. But I’ve been seeing him with Nari all night and then they kissed, and I don’t know Jaeun, I’m just, I’m so  _ angry _ -”

The tears were there, stinging her eyes as she sighed again, frustrated with it all.

“Yuri…” Jaeun was hesitant again as she spoke, voice comforting as she looked at her with empathetic eyes. “How long have you and Jisung been friends?”

She thought for a moment before answering.

“Almost ten years.”

The girl nodded, looking thoughtful.

“That’s a  _ lot  _ of best friendship,” she said slowly. “And kissing after all that is going to make  _ anything  _ complicated.”

Yuri knew she was right, gently wiping the stray tears from her eyes.

“But I think you guys need to talk about it,” she continued, looking almost apologetic as she said it, like she knew how  _ hard _ that was going to be. “Because maybe the reason you can’t forget about it and things have been so weird…”

She shrugged a little.

“It might not be something you can just get over.”

Yuri was quiet, letting Jaeun’s words sink in for a moment as she swallowed hard again, her chest feeling a little constricted.

She thought about everything from the beginning; the way she’d felt kissing Jisung, the rush in her system, how  _ stricken _ she’d been when they’d pulled away, as if neither of them could believe what had happened. The way the days that followed had been- so tense and uncomfortable, a strain on their friendship they’d never had before, nearly suffocating her as they both tried to move forward. The way she felt when he was close- like he used to be- and how much she’s always relied on that, not knowing what she was missing until it was gone.

Jaeun’s words gave her life the epiphanic shift Yuri never really  _ wanted _ .

Maybe this really  _ wasn’t _ something she and Jisung could just…  _ forget _ .


	15. Chapter 15

“So… So Yuri is  _ finally  _ realizing it…”

Jiae’s eyes were wide as she stared up at Grandma Kim.

“She finally realized she has  _ feelings _ for him.”

The older smiled with an answering nod.

“Thank  _ God  _ Jaeun was there to finally talk some sense into her,” Jiae said, flipping the pages quickly.

“Jaeun just might be the best girlfriend Yuri could’ve had,” her grandmother agreed fondly.

“So, now she’s just gotta tell Jisung, right?” Jiae asked, her eyes darting to the words on the page; still Yuri’s handwriting. “And then they can get together. He obviously still isn’t feeling it with  _ Nari _ , so-”

“Just…” the older hesitated. “Keep going.”

Jiae felt uneasy, but she obeyed, eyes roaming along the words as she read out loud once more.

“ _ The next couple of days following the party, I couldn’t shake the strange revelation I’d had. _

_ I hadn’t had a chance to be with Sehun yet, hadn’t done anything to face my newly recognized feelings for what they were. I felt like I just needed  _ time _ , but to be honest, I was scared; because I knew I needed to talk to Jisung. _

_ Properly. _

_ But the universe has a funny way of forcing you into a situation you’re not quite ready for, and I was having the conversation with Jisung a lot sooner than I was prepared for…” _

* * *

* * *

**_Tuesday, December 4, 2018_ **

Yuri had her headphones in her ears, walking alone to the convenience store as she listened to her music.

To say the last couple of days were confusing, would be an understatement.

She’d been invited by Sehun, earlier, to come over- Tuesdays were their normal hang out days- but Yuri had turned him down, knowing the next time she saw him she might come to the exact conclusion she’d been avoiding these past few weeks.

That kissing Sehun would never be like kissing  _ Jisung _ .

And having those thoughts about  _ Jisung _ \- her best friend, turned so much more seemingly overnight- made her head spin, but she knew she’d have to have a conversation with at least  _ one of them _ soon, if she was ever going to fix this.

Yuri walked into the store, the bell ringing above her head as she made a beeline straight for the coolers near the back. One of her headphones beeped before it was slowly shutting down, battery dying as she groaned in frustration.

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath, popping the left earbud into her case before her eyes were roaming along the different flavors of soda.

“-stupid, I guess when I ordered my books that one just  _ never  _ came.”

Yuri’s ears perked- she  _ recognized _ that voice- and she quickly turned around, peeking over at the aisle next to her own, seeing nothing but the top of the two shopper’s heads.

“Wow, really?” the other voice was much deeper-  _ super _ deep- but contradictingly innocent-sounding as he spoke. “That’s stupid, I hope you didn’t pay a lot.”

“It’s covered by the school thankfully, so it’s okay.”

Yuri  _ did _ know that voice; it was  _ Nari _ .

She stood up on her tiptoes to get a better look, and sure enough, there she was; there was no mistaking a flawless face like  _ that _ . Her companion was freckly and almost baby-faced, and she realized she knew who  _ he _ was too.

_ Felix _ ; a quiet guy in her College Algebra class.

She hadn’t known he had such a deep voice.

“Well, yeah we can definitely work on the homework together,” Felix sounded nervous, but he was smiling at her, ears bright red as he talked. “I don’t mind-”

“Are you sure?”

Yuri could see Nari’s hand caressing Felix’s shoulder, sliding down his upper arm before it disappeared behind the shelf, and out of sight.

“Y-Yeah,” the poor guy was stuttering, and Yuri was scowling a little, watching Nari reach up to fix a small piece of hair that’d fallen in front of Felix’s forehead. “I don’t mind-”

“Why are you so sweet?”

Nari was giggling, and Yuri felt a little sick, watching them start walking down the aisle and towards the register.

So Nari  _ couldn’t _ be trusted; Yuri had been right all along.

Her first instinct was to call the girl out right there in the middle of the store, and tell poor Felix to run while he could. Yuri couldn’t  _ believe _ her instincts were correct; that Nari was using her best friend because he was smart _ \- super smart _ in science- and Jisung had fallen  _ right _ into her trap.

She quickly grabbed a soda from the cooler, moving towards the front counter as she kept an eye on the pair. Yuri felt her eyebrows raise in surprise as they paid separately for their own food, and Nari’s hands never touched Felix again, watching them walk right out of the store together.

_ Maybe I jumped to conclusions? _

Yuri thought she’d look into it; see if anyone knew Nari in any of her other classes and if this girl had any sort of reputation. She didn’t want to accuse her of something before she did all her research.

Her phone buzzed loudly, interrupting the music still playing in her right ear, and she quickly pulled the device from her pocket, raising her eyebrows at Chan’s name on the screen.

“Hey Channie,” Yuri answered, sounding somewhat confused; he didn’t call her very often. “What’s up?”

“Hey, I’m on my way to class, but I just wanted to let you know, I think Jisung got whatever you got.”

Yuri felt her stomach twist a little, as she stared at the soda in her hand.

“What?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, he looked pretty rough when I left,” Chan admitted, sounding somewhat worried. “I have class like, all night, but I didn’t know if I should tell you, maybe you could check on him or something…”

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, at the thought of seeing Jisung so soon. She hadn’t had time to process all the way- figure out what she was going to  _ say _ \- but the thought of her best friend sick and alone in bed was pulling at her insides as she glanced around the store.

“Is he really that bad?” she asked, already heading back to the coolers, stuffing her phone back in her pocket so she could grab some drinks.

“I mean, yeah, he didn’t look too good,” Chan told her honestly, phone shuffling as she assumed he was walking across campus grounds. “I just thought you might wanna know.”

“No, I…” she hesitated, hurrying to the next aisle and grabbing a couple bowls of soup. “I  _ do _ . I’ll go check on him. Thanks Channie.”

He laughed a little, Yuri balancing all the things in her arms.

“No problem; I’ll talk to you later, Yu.”

“Bye.”

Her phone beeped as he ended the call, and Yuri fought down the nervous bubble in her throat as she made her way quickly to the register.

She guessed she’d be seeing Jisung a little sooner than she’d planned.

* * *

Yuri felt like she and Jisung had switched roles, gripping tight to the plastic bag in her hand as she typed the code into his door, walking quickly into the dorm. She hadn’t even knocked, and she was met with her best friend’s wide, surprised eyes as soon she entered the room.

Chan had been right- Jisung was  _ definitely  _ sick- and he looked worse than Yuri had felt just two weeks ago. Hair sticking to his head with slight perspiration, entire face a little flushed with glassy eyes, body leaned lethargically against the wall with a laptop sitting across his legs, he looked pretty rough.

“Yuri…” he said, sounding confused, voice breaking a little in sickness. “I thought you’d be with Sehun today?”

“I was alone,” she answered, making her way slowly to his bed. “Chan called me and told me you were sick… I figured you got what I had…”

It was hard, seeing him alone again when she hadn’t had time to think about how she felt all the way. It was difficult, to be in Jisung’s presence right now, his eyes following her every movement like they were, when her thoughts were still in disarray, stomach already clenching a little just seeing him like this. 

“I’m fine,” Jisung told her quickly, only to cough right afterwards, quickly covering his mouth with his hand.

Despite the stress of their situation, Yuri still laughed a little with a shake of her head.

“Really,” he tried again in a raspy voice. “It just started this morning when I woke up. I was just going to lounge around all day and I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

But she rolled her eyes because Jisung was always like this- while she was a big  _ baby _ when she was sick, he just pretended like he wasn’t sick at  _ all _ , and didn’t do what he needed to heal his body completely.

It’s why she’d come in the first place.

She dug out a Gatorade- ice blue, his favorite flavor- glancing back at him, a little nervous.

Yuri hadn’t been too close with him since she’d had her conversation with Jaeun at the party; since she’d had to recognize that there might be something  _ more _ going on than she wanted to acknowledge, when it came to the kiss they shared. But she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jisung about it- as far as he knew, they were still  _ forgetting _ \- and so sucking it up the best she could, she waved her hand at him, telling him to scoot over.

Jisung looked hesitant too, his eyes darting up and down her body for a second before he was swallowing a little, gripping his laptop and slowly scooting over. He never admitted it, but Jisung liked to be close to someone just as much as she did when he was sick, and she thought that, even if things  _ were _ complicated between them, her care for him was still the most important.

When there was room, she silently climbed in beside him, glancing at his laptop and smiling a little;  _ Teen Titans _ .

“The Slade episode?” she asked for something to say, hoping to shake her nerves a little. “I could’ve guessed.”

Jisung was grinning, his eyes moving to the screen.

“Hey,” he said softly, pretending to be offended. “This is one of the best ones…”

Yuri could feel the subtle racing of her heart in her chest, the  _ warmth _ on her insides, being so close to him, but she tried her best to ignore it, handing him the bottle in her hand.

“Here,” she was quiet. “You need this.”

Jisung glanced at it for only a second before taking the drink, twisting off the cap slowly. 

“Thanks.”

The silence hung heavy between them as Yuri fought with herself once again; her arm was so close to his own, as they leaned against the wall together. She was surrounded by the scent of fresh-cut grass- so  _ Jisung _ \- and her hands felt a little shaky, as she rested them gently in her lap.

The familiarity was still there- the best friendship she’d almost feared they were losing- but Yuri couldn’t deny anymore that she was feeling something  _ else _ entirely. Being so close to Jisung like this- even sick and slightly disoriented- she could feel the unmistakable flip of her stomach when she looked at his face.

_ So handsome _

“Can we watch?” Yuri asked when Jisung had lowered the bottle from his lips, the drink already halfway gone.

She wasn’t there to make things more complicated right now; Yuri hadn’t showed up to Jisung’s dorm to have the conversation she didn’t have the words for yet. 

She was there to take care of him.

So, even as Jisung glanced over at her again, looking like he was just as nervous as her, he was nodding, resting the laptop on each of their legs, the inches staying between their bodies.

And then they were both staring at the screen as Yuri took a small breath, watching him quickly hit play.

* * *

At some point, both of them had fallen asleep.

Yuri hadn’t meant to let herself drift off like that; she’d only meant to stay long enough to see him drink his Gatorade and water, maybe watch a couple episodes of  _ Teen Titans _ to pass the time. But sometime during everything, her eyelids must’ve gotten too heavy- she hadn’t been sleeping well- and she’d slipped away, too comforted by Jisung’s presence despite every confusing thought she had with him.

It was hours later, the setting sun low and shining through the window, when she started to stir. She felt a heaviness on her shoulder, and her eyes fluttered open, heart immediately jumping into her throat. 

Jisung was fast asleep on her, cheek squished up, mouth a little open, breaths deep and even. She reached up automatically, sweeping the sweaty hair off his forehead, his eyes still closed as she felt that same stutter in her chest she’d been getting with him since  _ that night _ .

The shift was still there, and Yuri was reminded all over again that things had gotten much worse than she realized.

There was a subtle sensation that spread across her fingertips, when she touched him, a twist of her insides, as she looked at his handsome face, and Yuri was having trouble pretending any of  _ that _ wasn’t real.

Because it all  _ was _ real, and she’d been in such a stupid level of denial for so long that she feared she’d made things  _ more _ complicated than they already were. 

He’d definitely broken his fever- she could tell by how  _ sweaty  _ he was- and she jumped a little when she saw his eyelids flutter, groaning as he rubbed his face into her arm, slowly waking up. She smiled despite the tightness in her chest at her own thoughts, because Jisung was too adorable waking up for her not to notice.

After a moment, Jisung came aware of where he was and how he was laying. His eyes darted to her arm before he was staring at her face, sitting up quickly.

“You stayed?” he asked groggily, looking down at the space between their bodies.

There was hardly any.

“I fell asleep,” she admitted softly.

She felt nervous, Jisung’s eyes roaming slowly along the features of her face before she saw his adam’s apple bobbing up and down, gulping audibly as he turned away.

“I’m fine now,” he told her quietly. “You don’t have to stay.”

And she knew that; that he’d broken his fever and his head was straight again. 

But he’d never asked her to leave  _ before _ , when he was sick, and Yuri knew that’s why she was staying. Because things  _ weren’t  _ the same- things were  _ heavy _ and wrong- and something needed to be done before they both lost each other entirely.

“I need to stay,” she all but whispered, Jisung’s eyes meeting hers once more.

“Don’t you want to be with Sehun?”

There was a lilt in his voice- an emotion there that Yuri couldn’t read all the way- and she was shaking her head. 

“I… no. I  _ don’t  _ want to be with Sehun right now.”

And now, more than ever, she knew those words were true; that despite everything going on, despite all the jumbled complications, she knew she  _ didn’t _ want to be with Sehun.

That she wasn’t going to find a connection there.

Yuri saw the flicker of surprise flash across his features before his eyebrows were furrowing a little.

“You don’t like him like that anymore?”

It must’ve been the way she’d said it- a finality to her words- that let him know the gravity of her feelings about the man; that it wasn’t just  _ right now _ that she didn’t want to be with Sehun.

“Um…” her heart was pounding again, as she looked at him. “I… I don’t think so, no.”

Her stomach, it was twisting with knots so tight she felt like she couldn’t breathe, because she knew what Jisung would ask and how she’d have to respond-

“Why not?”

Yuri didn’t answer right away, chewing on her bottom lip as Jisung’s eyes darted to the movement for only a second before he was looking back at her. 

They were close- so  _ close _ \- and that’d always been normal for them, but she couldn’t ignore it anymore, the way it made her feel. She couldn’t pretend her chest wasn’t constricting with emotions she’d never have for “ _ just a friend _ ” or that her hands weren’t trembling in her lap, as she tried to gather her courage.

_ “I think you guys need to talk about it,”  _ Jaeun’s words were echoing in Yuri’s mind.  _ “Because maybe the reason you can’t forget about it and things have been so weird… It might not be something you can just get over.” _

She inhaled deeply, before finally speaking.

“I think I’m confused.”

Silence followed her words, and Jisung just stared at her, Yuri swallowing nervously around the lump in her throat.

“Confused… about what?”

His words were barely above a whisper, and she watched Jisung search her face again, their proximity sending her heart rate through the roof.

“I think-”

Yuri felt like she was choking on her own words, but she forced herself to say it; to admit it out loud and  _ face this _ for what it was-

“I think I’m confused… about  _ you _ .”

The air between them was palpable as Yuri reminded herself to breathe, Jisung continuing to stare at her, a million emotions flashing across his eyes, too quick for her to read.

“What?”

Jisung’s voice was tight, almost hard for her to hear,  _ shocked _ .

“I think I’m confused about you,” she repeated, the words not any easier to admit the second time. 

They were still close-  _ closer _ \- her heart slamming against the walls of her chest as Jisung’s eyes moved up and down her features, looking just as confused as she felt.

“Yuri…”

But he couldn’t seem to find the words to finish his sentence, his gaze wandering to her lips. Yuri’s heart leaped violently into her throat as she realized they were both leaning forward;  _ why _ was that happening-

And then her eyes were slipping closed and she was pressing her lips against Jisung’s before she could stop it- before she could  _ think _ \- and Yuri’s chest, it was  _ warm _ , heart racing, a pleasurable buzz spreading through every vein in her body, and she tried and failed to catch her breath.

There was nothing but  _ feeling _ , and Yuri was floating, lips moving gently, but passionately against Jisung’s as that  _ rush _ made its way through her system. 

And she realized it  _ wasn’t _ the alcohol, or the excitement of her first time being kissed in a while, or the hotness of the moment-

Everything she’d felt that night had been  _ Jisung _ \- full-fledged  _ feelings  _ for him- and like a dam had broken, it was all rushing through her body with full, sober  _ clarity _ , her throat tightening from the emotion of it all, of that  _ connection _ -

Jisung pulled his lips from hers rather suddenly, and they inhaled together, her forehead falling against his as she reminded herself to  _ breathe _ .

“This isn’t a good idea,” he whispered, voice soft but strained as she swallowed thickly.

“I know,” Yuri was nodding, forcing herself to pull away from him, a heaviness in her chest as she did so.

A few tense seconds passed, Yuri pulling her hands from his shoulders- when had she put them there?- as she looked up at Jisung, surprised to see a flicker of  _ fear _ in his eyes before he was turning away.

“I just… I have Nari,” he said quietly, gulping audibly, sounding like he was telling  _ himself  _ as much as he was telling her.

But even knowing him well enough to hear that- to hear his  _ hesitation _ \- she couldn’t stop the pain that sliced through her insides like a sharp, hot knife, thinking of Nari. How demure she was,  _ sexy _ she was, and how very much  _ Jisung’s _ type she was…

And then she realized how vulnerable this entire situation was right now; Yuri, with her feelings hanging like wet clothes in the wind, lingering in the air between them, the exact  _ opposite _ of a chase, or anything her best friend would ever go for.

She was  _ hurt _ and confused, and somewhere in her mind Yuri was aware of how stupid that was- how completely  _ unfair _ that was. But she wasn’t thinking maturely like she should be, as she pulled back a little bit more.

“Jisung, I don’t think she’s good for you.”

Yuri knew she was supposed to be waiting; to be looking more into what she’d seen earlier, and checking on a few things before making those kinds of accusations. But all she could see was Nari in her head, her hand running up Felix’s arm, just like she’d done to Jisung all night at the party- 

“I think she’s  _ using _ you.”

Jisung sat back a little, eyebrows immediately furrowing as his eyes darted across her face.

“What?” he asked, sounding more defensive than he needed to.

“I was at the convenience store,” she explained, voice still a little choked. “I- I saw her there, Sungie, and she was with this guy,  _ Felix _ , in my math class-”

She watched him swallow a little as she continued.

“She was touching all over him,” Yuri went on quickly. “And then she said she didn’t have a textbook for math and they should work on their homework together-”

Recognition flashed across Jisung’s eyes, but he quickly turned away from her before speaking.

“They’re probably just study partners or something.”

Yuri was taken aback; Jisung was  _ not _ this stupid.

“And she just runs her hand down the arm of all her ‘ _ study partners _ ’?” she asked, sounding much angrier than she’d meant to. “Felix is the top of my math class, Jisung; he’s  _ really _ smart. And you’re the top of your Biology class- I  _ know _ you are. You think that’s just a coincidence?”

Yuri was already shaky from everything that had just happened, wound tight with every confusing emotion that’d raced through her body, and Jisung’s blatant denial was  _ frustrating _ her-

“Nari’s just  _ touchy _ .”

He was  _ kidding _ , right?

Jisung still hadn’t looked at her, scowling at the comforter, and there was  _ pain  _ in her chest as she realized he didn’t  _ want _ to. 

He regretted kissing her again; she didn’t need to see his face because she  _ knew _ , and that’s why he was defending Nari, because  _ that’s _ who he wanted, and  _ wow _ , did Yuri feel stupid-

“What? You don’t-” her throat was constricting, eyes filling with angry tears as she stared at the side of his face. “-you don’t  _ trust _ me? You think I’m making this up?”

Jisung  _ did _ look up at that, something about her voice pulling his gaze to her again, and she saw something flicker across his dark brown orbs when he saw her eyes.

“ _ No _ , I just know how you are,” he snapped, still defensive. “I just need to talk to her first-”

Those words, they rubbed her the wrong way and she was too sensitive right now, climbing off the bed as she stared at him, swallowing around the hot  _ lump _ in her throat. 

“Yeah-” she was nodding over and over, taking a couple steps back from the bed, needing space. “Yeah, okay-”

And Jisung was running both hands through his hair, exhaling heavily as his scowl deepened.

“You can’t be  _ mad _ , I-”

He was frustrated,  _ angry _ with her and it made everything so much worse because-  _ dammit _ \- she hadn’t wanted things to be complicated; Yuri didn’t want any of this to  _ happen _ this way-

“We can’t just-”

Jisung was still struggling with his words, and she knew they weren’t talking about Nari and whether she was using him anymore; they were talking about  _ them _ and the confusing emotions between them, the deep crack in the glass of their near-perfect friendship.

“Nari was  _ first _ , Yuri.”

* * *

* * *

“Nari was  _ first _ ?”

Jiae’s voice was loud as she scowled deeply, looking up from the notebook.

“What the heck? That’s how it  _ ends _ ?”

Grandma Kim wasn’t smiling, but there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes as she leaned forward, turning the page for Jiae; a continuation of the same part of the story.

“Jisung wrote the second half of the conversation,” the older told her calmly.

Jiae took a deep breath, still a little irritated as she settled back in her seat.

“He better have a good explanation for saying something so  _ stupid _ …”

Her grandmother  _ did _ laugh at that, and Jiae quickly started reading again.

“ _ That wasn’t exactly what I’d meant. _

_ I’d of course meant that Nari was  _ with _ me first. That I’d been  _ interested _ in her first and had feelings for her before Yuri.  _

_ And the fact that I was thinking that at  _ all _ \- that my feelings for Yuri were comparable to how I felt about Nari- made everything more complicated than it needed to be. Because I knew if I were to truly look at that for what it was. _

_ My feelings for Yuri would be so much stronger than anything I felt for Nari. _

_ But I didn’t want to acknowledge that at all.” _

* * *

* * *

“Nari was first.”

Yuri repeated his own words, and Jisung could feel the burning frustration coursing through his veins as he ran another hand through his hair.

“What the fuck ever, Jisung-”

There were tears in her eyes, and it sent a sharp pain through his chest to see it, because Jisung knew she was hurt, and it was because of  _ him _ .

“ _ Dammit _ , Yuri, that’s  _ not _ what I meant.”

But it was hard to put things into perspective- to look at  _ himself _ and why he was acting this way. It was difficult to face anything- the fact that they’d kissed again and it’d been everything he was  _ hoping  _ for with Nari, that their friendship was not  _ ever _ going to go back to what it was, that there was something more  _ there _ and it  _ scared  _ him-

“No, I’m just- I’m gonna go-” Yuri’s voice was trembling a little as she hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks, walking farther from the bed, looking for her purse. 

Jisung was frustrated all over again, because he didn’t  _ want _ her to leave, but wasn’t sure what he could say-

“Nari just- she deserves for me to  _ talk  _ to her first.”

Jisung knew his words were ridiculous; that he’d been ignoring all signs that Nari was doing  _ exactly _ what Yuri was accusing her of. Never buying a textbook, borrowing his notes once a week, asking for help with the study guide, staying  _ just  _ seductive enough to keep him coming back-

But he didn’t want to acknowledge that; that holding onto Nari and her promise of  _ distraction _ was better than letting her go and facing everything he was trying to avoid.

Yuri scoffed at his words, tongue pushing on the inside of her cheek as she shook her head.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“What?” Jisung asked angrily, throwing his hands into the air. “Is it  _ wrong _ for me to talk to her first?”

It was really, such a  _ stupid  _ explanation- a weak excuse for why he wouldn’t face all the shit going on in his head- but Jisung wasn’t interested in a self-evaluation at the moment. He was confused, and  _ tired _ of all the crap between him and Yuri right now. 

To be honest, it terrified him, how strong everything was, like it’d been there all along, like all of this wasn’t just here because they  _ kissed _ -

“ _ No _ , you just-” Yuri was wiping more tears away, eyebrows furrowed in obvious distress as she laughed without humor. “You’re so  _ predictable _ .”

“What?”

He hated that he thought she was pretty- even like  _ this _ , with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks- and Jisung didn’t know when that had  _ changed _ ; when he’d even noticed how beautiful he thought she was-

“ _ Nari _ , she is  _ so _ your type, isn’t she?” Yuri went on, bitterly. “Gorgeous, sexy and mysterious, same as  _ always _ , Jisung, because you’re always after the  _ chase _ , aren’t you?”

Jisung’s chest tightened at her words as his teeth gritted together, taking his eyes from her face.

“You’d rather go talk to  _ her  _ and keep living in denial, even though we both know,  _ you _ know, she’s been  _ using  _ you.”

He didn’t like it- how much she was hitting the nail on the head again- only growing more  _ frustrated _ as Yuri kept talking.

“I  _ know _ you’re not that stupid. When I told you what I saw with Felix, I could  _ see it _ in your eyes!”

Yuri was almost yelling now, and he knew she was going to try to  _ force _ him to face this, right here, right now-

“But you’d rather try to make that work, anyway, if it means you get a hot girl you can keep around for three months, instead of just  _ letting it go _ -”

Her words were venomous-  _ resentful _ \- and Jisung felt pain shooting through his entire body when she spoke,  _ enraging  _ him.

“Oh,  _ I’m _ the one who can’t let people go?” he spat, his voice just as loud- if not  _ louder _ \- than Yuri’s. “Look at  _ you _ ! You’ve been with Sehun for  _ two fucking months _ and what the hell do you guys have in common, huh?”

He was climbing off the bed, shaking with anger, thinking about Yuri and Sehun, the way they were at the party together, how  _ absent _ he seemed-

“Do you have anything to talk about?” he went on. “Do you even have  _ fun _ when you’re with him?”

Jisung hated thinking about it; how clammed up Yuri had been, standing there with Sehun, loyally drinking a beer she didn’t even  _ like _ while he talked to his friends more than he talked to  _ her _ .

“I  _ told _ you I was confused!” her voice was an octave higher than usual, catching in her throat as more tears filled her eyes and Jisung’s stomach twisted at the sight of it, at the  _ meaning _ behind her words-

“But you’re still  _ with _ him-” 

Jisung didn’t want to think any harder about what Yuri was confused about-  _ him _ \- his chest clenching at the thought, frustrating him further.

“You’ll  _ stay _ holding onto Sehun because he’s tall, dark, and handsome, no matter  _ how _ he treats you-”

And Jisung realized it now, how much he had noticed her patterns; how much it  _ bothered _ him that Yuri would do that. That the strong, independent best friend he adored lost all respect for herself when it came to a hot guy.

“And you’ll tell me you don’t know how you feel about him some days and other times you’ll just be  _ so _ in love,” he kept going, the words like  _ vomit _ as they poured from his mouth, suppressed thoughts he’d never spoken out loud before, never even  _ acknowledged _ . 

“You’ll keep staying with Sehun because he’s nice to look at,” Jisung continued, his voice lower as he spoke. “ _ Just _ like you did with Jungkook.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them, watching Yuri’s mouth fall open before her cheeks went pink with anger, eyes glassy once more as she bit hard on her bottom lip.

The silence was suffocating, Jisung’s heart beating hard against the walls of his chest, as he realized how  _ hurt _ he was feeling. How it felt  _ unfair _ , for Yuri to accuse him of his denial with Nari when she was doing the same thing with  _ Sehun _ , turning into a completely different  _ person  _ with him.

He hated how  _ confused _ he still felt, still not fully recovered from the kiss they shared again, how much emotion had shot through his system because of it, and how much it  _ shook  _ him-

Yuri was moving, brushing her hair hurriedly from her face as she leaned down to pick up her purse, clumsy with anger. Jisung was watching, rooted to the spot,  _ speechless  _ it seemed, wishing he could take it all back at the look on her face.

“Goodbye Jisung,” Yuri’s voice was broken, her pained eyes like a stab to the chest as she swallowed hard. “Have fun with Nari.”

Then she was turning on her heel, and he was watching her go, stomach twisting painfully as he stayed frozen in place, wishing he could  _ move _ , tell her he hadn’t meant what he said, he was just  _ confused _ -

And then she was slamming the door behind her, the walls shaking so hard one of Chan’s pictures fell with a  _ smack _ to the floor, Jisung burying his face in his hands.

“ _ Shit _ .”


	16. Chapter 16

“ _ Please _ tell me he ran after her?”

Jiae’s voice was small as she asked the question, the room quiet as she and her grandmother shared sad eye contact.

She was heartbroken; this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Why was Jisung so bad at articulating his feelings, and why did they scare him so much? Why couldn’t Yuri stand her ground and tell Jisung to man up, instead of running away?

“There are more chapters to go, dear,” Grandma Kim told her softly, motioning to the notebook. “Don’t be sad. It’s not over here… there’s still more to read…”

Jiae nodded, turning the pages, Yuri’s handwriting still filling the lines.

“ _ The walk back to my dorm felt longer than it ever normally did. _

_ I hadn’t been able to stay in there with Jisung, his hurtful words like  _ bullets  _ to my chest, and I was still bleeding, arms crossed in front of me, as if I was trying to hold myself together. I cried harder than I’d cried in a long time, no matter how much I tried to stop it, not realizing how upset all of this had made me until I let myself go. _

_ I thought I’d experienced true heartbreak, when I’d found Jungkook cheating on me what felt like forever ago, but I’d never had anything like  _ this _. _

_ This kind of pain felt so much worse. _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Tuesday, December 4, 2018_ **

The cold December air was burning Yuri’s cheeks, as she kept her arms tight to her body, trying to get a grip, stop  _ crying _ enough to see in front of her.

Jisung’s words were echoing in her head like some sort of torturous, broken record, and the lump in her throat only grew bigger as she walked blindly to her dorm, wiping hastily at the tears on her face.

_ “You’ll keep staying with Sehun because he’s nice to look at,” Jisung continued, his voice lower as he spoke. “Just like you did with Jungkook.” _

Her hands slammed against the double doors to the dorm building, pushing them open as the warm inside air enveloped her, not helping the  _ cold _ in her chest. She passed through the commons, vaguely aware of the chattering students on her left, zooming right past them as she took the stairs, trying to take deep, even breaths.

How had things gotten so out of control?

She’d come over there to make Jisung feel better; help him while he was sick like he’d done for her. But somehow they’d brought up  _ Sehun _ , and Yuri was spilling her feelings, and Jisung was staring at her again- like she wasn’t  _ her _ \- and then, somehow, they were _ kissing _ -

She hit the top step, turning left as she swallowed hard, chest constricting at the memory.

It’d been everything she’d been looking for; that  _ connection _ . Their first kiss wasn’t a drunken mistake or romanticized by the heat of the moment, it was  _ real _ , and Yuri thought this might’ve been the worst time she could’ve come to that conclusion.

She untangled her arms, shakily typing the passcode into her dorm as she wiped at her nose. Twisting the knob, she practically fell inside, ready to be alone, to  _ cry _ properly and curl up on her bed, under the covers-

But she jumped when she saw Chan and Jaeun sitting on the bed- fully clothed thank goodness- kissing one another for only a second before pulling away, turning to her in complete surprise.

“Shit,” Yuri croaked, already backing towards the door again. “Sorry, I’ll just-”

Wasn’t Chan supposed to be in class? Wasn’t  _ Jaeun _ supposed to be in class?

“Whoa, whoa whoa!” they both exclaimed together, standing from the bed and making their way over to her.

“You alright?” Chan asked quickly, eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, Yuri,” Jaeun’s eyes were darting quickly along the features of her face as they approached. “What’s wrong?”

Yuri was sure she looked like a  _ mess _ ; tears still wet on her cheeks, eyes swollen, nose a little runny as she hastily reached up to wipe it again, taking a deep, shaky breath.

“N-Nothing-” 

She attempted to lie, but what a joke; Jaeun and Chan just looked at her, waiting for her to tell the truth, and she inhaled again before speaking.

“I, uh-” she pressed her lips together for a moment. “I tried talking to Jisung.”

Her voice caught on the words, and she saw Chan and Jaeun’s faces fall, their eyes sympathetic as she swiped new tears quickly from her eyes.

“What?” Chan asked softly. “Like, about the  _ kiss _ ?”

Jaeun elbowed him in the ribs, and he gripped the spot, turning to the girl.

“ _ What _ ?” he asked. “I thought she  _ knew _ I knew-”

Yuri didn’t have the energy to be upset- she was sure, to be honest, Chan had figured it out the day he’d almost walked in on her and Jisung. So she just nodded slowly to answer his question, unsure she could really elaborate at the moment.

Chan and Jaeun exchanged uneasy looks.

“I’ll go see how he’s doing-”

The older turned to Yuri with sympathetic, puppy eyes, reaching up to squeeze her shoulder as he searched her face.

“Everything’ll be alright, Yuri, okay?”

She nodded weakly, biting her lip as Chan let go, he and Jaeun glancing at each other for another meaningful moment before he was walking past, making his way out of the dorm.

It was silent for a second as Jaeun looked at her, Yuri trying to focus on just  _ breathing  _ a little bit and calming down.

“What happened?” Jaeun whispered.

And it was all Yuri needed, to completely pour her heart out.

She told Jaeun everything; how she’d been struggling since the night of the party, with these newfound feelings she didn’t know what to do with. How she’d had no idea how she was going to tell Jisung,  _ what _ she was going to say to him, but when she found out he was sick, she wasn’t about to leave him behind when he hadn’t done that to  _ her _ .

Yuri told her roommate just how bad it was, being so close to Jisung like that, and being slapped in the face with how strong of feelings she really had for him. How he’d asked her about Sehun and that’d opened the pandora’s box, and she was spilling her feelings to Jisung in a split-second decision she sort of regretted.

She told Jaeun what it was like to kiss Jisung again- sober and more aware- and how it only solidified what she’d already known; that there was so much more than friendship and she’d been in total denial about it. Jaeun listened patiently as Yuri told her what Jisung had said- that Nari was first- and how angry she’d been- how angry they’d  _ both _ been.

Then she was re-telling the worst part; how her anger had caused her to say hurtful things to him about not just Nari, but Jisung’s habits with women in general, and how shitty it all was. How Yuri’d seen the pain in her best friend’s eyes before he was yelling right back at her, hitting her with a knife to the chest as he threw her own patterns right in her face. How, if she’d known it was going to spiral into the storm it became, she would’ve never gone to see him.

Yuri was choking on her words, still wiping tears from her face as she told Jaeun that she hated it all; that she’s  _ still _ angry, because Jisung is her best friend in the entire world and she feels like she’s about to lose him because of this. She’d rather have her best friend than  _ nothing _ , and Yuri just wanted to go back, when she was living blissfully unaware of it all.

“You can’t help how you feel, Yuri,” Jaeun finally said softly, the two of them sitting on their beds now, facing one another. 

She knew that, but it didn’t make things any less complicated.

“Maybe…” her roommate hesitated. “Maybe you’ve felt this way all along… and you just never realized it.”

Yuri reflected on that for a moment.

How she’d never felt  _ jealous _ of the girls Jisung was with, but she’d always been weary about them, judging them before she took the time to get to  _ know _ them. How happy she was, when she was with him- the  _ happiest _ \- even when she was dating Jungkook. How when she was sad- like she was right  _ now _ \- there was no one in the world she wanted more than her best friend because no one else made her  _ feel  _ better like he did. How Jisung was the biggest comfort when she was sick and if she could choose one person to be stranded on an island with forever, it would  _ always _ be him.

Had she been mistaking  _ feelings _ for best friendship?

“I… don’t know,” Yuri finally said, sighing a little as she hung her head.

“Just give him time,” Jaeun told her gently, sounding much more confident in their situation than Yuri was. “I think he’ll come around faster than you think.”

And Yuri found herself nodding, knowing there was nothing else she  _ could _ do.

She’d just have to wait.

* * *

* * *

“No…” Jiae felt tears in her eyes. “They don't go long without talking, do they?”

Grandma Kim’s eyes were sympathetic, and she reached into a box tissues nearby, handing one over. 

“Don’t worry, dear,” her grandmother reassured her, turning the pages as Jiae wiped the single tear that slipped from her eye. “It’s Yuri and Jisung… you know they can’t go very long without the other…”

Jiae nodded-  _ wow _ , she’d gotten attached- eyes back on the pages as she continued to read in Yuri’s point of view.

“ _ We went five days without talking, and it was a very  _ long _ five days. _

_ It’s odd, to have someone who is such a part of your life ripped from your routine so completely. To not talk to them at all, and realize how much you’re stopping yourself throughout the day, wanting to tell them about something you saw or read. _

_ It was an empty,  _ hollow _ sort of feeling that had me quiet, in my head, going through the motions of class and taking care of things I should have taken care of a long time ago… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Sunday, December 9, 2018_ **

Yuri sat on her bed, Jaeun beside her as they leaned against the wall,  _ Harry Potter _ playing on the TV. They were holding cups of ramen, a package of cookies between them, but she wasn’t eating, her roommate glancing at her every once in a while as she tried to focus on  _ Harry _ and  _ his _ issues.

Honestly, he had it way worse than she did at the moment; maybe it would give her some perspective.

It was her fifth day in a row camping out in the dorm, only leaving to attend class just to turn right back around and head back, reading webtoons on her phone or mindlessly watching TV, not in the mood to talk to anyone. 

But she  _ did _ force herself to have a conversation with Sehun.

After their art class on Thursday, she’d taken him to the side and told him she thought it would be better if they just stayed friends. He’d asked her why, which surprised her a bit- she hadn’t thought he’d really care at all- and she explained that she thought she was just in a different place in her life than he was, and he took the answer well, nodding and even smiling at her before they parted ways.

It was something she’d realized, locked away in her room with nothing but her own thoughts; neither of them were at fault, in their situation. Sehun, he’d never put a  _ label _ on their relationship, and with a clearer head, Yuri realized that the two of them were never meant to be serious- they were just casually dating. She’d never thought to  _ ask _ , too busy looking for some kind of connection with someone who wasn’t necessarily looking for one back. Yuri realized he probably thought she was cute and was just keeping it simple, because he’d already  _ found _ the love of his life;  _ art _ .

There was no room for what Yuri was looking for.

So, when she’d broken things off, it hadn’t felt like a  _ couple _ break-up because they never  _ had _ been; they’d never said they were boyfriend and girlfriend. And Yuri wondered why she’d never put that together until then, or even  _ thought _ about it.

_ “You’ll stay holding onto Sehun because he’s tall, dark, and handsome, no matter how he treats you-” _

Jisung’s words still stung, his anger at her something she just wasn’t used to, as she wondered about what he’d said. 

Was that the truth? 

Was she so caught up in the pretty- in the handsome prince of the fairy tale she didn’t know she’d even  _ wanted _ \- that she’d been too delusional to see what was right in front of her? Had she ignored the signs with Jungkook, too, just to keep living in her fantasy world she’d unknowingly created?

_ Yes _

Yeah… she knew that now.

Since then, Yuri had spent the rest of her time alone; she hadn’t talked or texted Jisung, hadn’t gone to their cafeteria meet-ups like normal, or done  _ anything _ . 

There was a part of her that knew she was being the dramatic, heartbroken girl she would shake her head at when her mother wanted to watch romance movies. That she was content to lay in her own depression instead of  _ doing _ something about it, but sadness was a funny thing, the way it altered the mind. Her body was  _ heavy _ and Yuri was weak, and it was  _ hard  _ to think rationally when there was a dark cloud over her thoughts.

It was so much easier to just… stay still.

Yuri missed Jisung more than she could express- more than she could probably comprehend- and she wasn’t sure what would happen; the unknown was frightening. The fact that she felt so  _ much _ when it came to him, was terrifying, but she knew she didn't like the thought of losing him either, because that would hurt more than any other end to this story.

“You should eat that.”

Jaeun’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts, and Yuri realized she’s been picking at the noodles with her chopsticks for a long moment, still not taking a bite.

“I’m not really that hungry,” Yuri told her, trying to sound casual as she looked at her roommate. “I guess I had too many cookies.”

The girl raised an eyebrow.

“You had like, two.”

Yuri glanced at the package.

“I don’t know, I just don’t have an appetite.”

She hadn’t all week.

Yuri felt  _ terrible,  _ honestly, knowing she had to be the most depressing roommate someone could have at the moment. Jaeun was the only one she’d seen, besides the occasional Chan when he stopped by for a second before the two of them went out. It was her roommate who’d suggested they watch Harry Potter, and Yuri had agreed because she felt bad, and didn’t want to bring Jaeun down when the girl had been nothing but amazing to her since they’d met.

But it seemed that wasn’t really working, as Jaeun sighed.

“Maybe you should try talking to Jisung again…”

Yuri’s throat tightened at his name, swallowing quickly as she shook her head.

“We all know how that went last time…”

Her words were bitter and stubborn, and she knew she was being ridiculous, exhaling heavily as she looked at Jaeun.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly. “I just… I don’t think he wants to talk to me. Honestly.”

Yuri couldn’t shake how  _ angry _ Jisung had looked, when he looked at her that day. She hadn’t texted him, but  _ he _ hadn’t reached out either, and she didn’t know what that meant.

Jaeun was sighing again, looking hesitant before she moved the ramen off her lap.

“Okay…” she replied slowly. “Then can we… maybe  _ do _ something? Maybe get you out of this dorm?”

Yuri glanced at her roommate, her immediate decline sticking to her tongue as she thought just how  _ long  _ she’d been sitting in the dorm. She’d barely seen the sun, only when walking to and from classes, and it couldn’t be  _ good _ , Yuri being so cooped up like this.

“What did you have in mind?”

She saw the flicker of surprise on Jaeun’s face before the girl was reaching for her phone, unlocking the device.

“Do you… want to try an escape room?” she asked, typing something quickly before looking up at Yuri. “I know we’ve been talking about trying it… and I think Chan’s working today, he can get us in for free…”

Yuri considered it; an escape room. 

An  _ escape _ . 

Maybe getting caught up in the clues, pretend-trapped in a room that wasn’t her  _ own  _ would make her feel better; distract her enough to bring her back to life, if only a little.

“Okay…”

She was nodding slowly, moving her own ramen to the side as she shifted her legs a bit, pausing the movie on the screen.

“Yeah… let’s do it.”

Yuri wasn’t sure how much it would help, but she figured, anything was better than spending another day on her bed, waiting for her phone to go off when she  _ knew _ it wouldn’t.

“Okay.”

Jaeun still looked a little shocked, hiding it quickly as she typed on her phone again.

“We’ll just wait for Chan to text me back,” she said, looking up again with a gentle smile. “Then we’ll go.”

* * *

* * *

“Oh my gosh, why are they such good friends?” Jiae asked, flipping the page quickly as Grandma Kim smiled.

“Yes, Yuri is quite lucky to have them,” the older agreed, looking almost impatient as she nodded back towards the pages. “Go on, Jiae. You’re about to find out how _ great _ of friends they really are…”

Jiae didn’t waste time, noting Jisung’s handwriting now filling the lines before she read out loud again.

“ _ For the next five days, I wrote music. _

_ It turns out, when you’re stuck in an emotional hole like I was, you can crank out some pretty amazing songs, and so that’s what I did. _

_ I shut out the world, ignored my phone, and tried my best to pretend like I wasn’t completely  _ devastated _ by what had happened between me and Yuri…” _

* * *

* * *

Jisung was crouched over his laptop, eyes strained from how long he’d been staring at the screen, headphones snug on his ears as he played his track over and over, trying to perfect it. He was scribbling down lyrics, barely paying attention to the words because he knew if he  _ did _ , he’d have to face what they meant.

He’d spent the last several days reflecting on himself; on figuring out what was  _ really _ going on, and what he was even  _ doing _ .

The first thing he did, was end things with Nari.

He’d been purposely blind, to the blatant signs that she was using him in Biology. Jisung had probably known all along, if he was being honest with himself, but hadn’t wanted to face it; it was easier to give her the answers she wanted, in exchange for her attention. 

When he’d told Nari that Friday that he wouldn't be sharing his notes with her any longer, she’d been offended for only a second. Then she was promptly switching seats before the start of class, sitting next to another guy who looked more than happy to be beside her, and it didn’t bother Jisung like he’d thought it would.

He didn’t really  _ want _ her anymore. 

That was the hardest thing for Jisung to come to terms with; that he  _ didn’t _ want Nari.

He wanted  _ Yuri _ .

It was something Jisung had to face, stuck in his own head like he was. 

That he didn’t get that angry the other day because what Yuri had said was right- that he  _ did _ go for girls for the chase. He wasn’t upset because they  _ weren’t  _ supposed to kiss again but they did anyway, and he wasn’t hurt just because Yuri was his best friend and they had fought harder than they ever had before.

No, Jisung had all those emotions because he was harboring  _ feelings  _ for Yuri, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure how long that’d been going on.

And while Yuri’s words during their argument had stung- too  _ true _ for him to face right away- it was what she’d said earlier that year, long before any of this mess even started, that hit him the hardest.

“ _ I also know, when you get her, you won’t hold onto her either… You go out with girls until you get bored- which is like, three months max- and then you move on to the next one… _ ”

It was true, that Jisung had never been one for  _ commitment _ ; why did he need it? He’d always wondered what that was about, and why he never wanted a true,  _ real _ girlfriend. Was it a guy thing? Did he feel chained down? Was he just an asshole?

But it’d been day two without Yuri, that he realized  _ exactly _ why he’d never needed it.

He already  _ had  _ it.

_ Yuri _ was who he’d always been committed to- his best friend for as long as he could remember, his go-to person for anything and everything- and why would he need a girlfriend when he had  _ that _ ?

But of course, he’d never realized it and neither had she; they were living in ignorant bliss and there was a part of Jisung that sort of wished they could get that back. Because now everything was so much  _ clearer _ ; the glass had shattered, the wool pulled forcefully from his eyes, and he couldn’t go back to  _ not knowing _ . 

Not knowing that he’d been  _ scared  _ of how it felt to kiss Yuri- so  _ different  _ from anyone else- and what that meant, because he’d been terrified to lose her. 

His attachment to her was  _ deep _ , woven into the fabric of his life so securely that he couldn’t stand the thought of messing it up; of exploring a side of his feelings for Yuri he hadn’t known were there. Jisung didn’t want to acknowledge that there was anything more than friendship with her, because if he did, everything  _ changed _ , and they were walking into unfamiliar territory.

Before Yuri, it’d been a lonely time; just he and his mom against the world. She was tired- always  _ tired _ \- working to support them both with his father out of the picture. He loved her more than she’d probably ever know, but when Yuri came into his life- with a brightness he hadn’t known he needed, and a ferocity to her that he admired so  _ much _ \- his life had changed forever. His family got a little bigger,  _ warmer _ , and his days changed for the better.

He had someone to read comics with, watch movies with, share fruit snacks with and argue with, just for the fun of it. They spent their days together because things were  _ always  _ better together, and soon enough, his mother was treating Yuri like her own, and Yuri’s family was welcoming Jisung with open arms; like  _ family _ .

It took having Yuri gone, for Jisung to realize just how much he relied on that, and how much she truly meant to him. And that his fears were there because adding a relationship to the mix-  _ feelings _ and  _ real love _ \- it was a sharp knife to hold, and he knew it all carried risks; it wasn’t a bet he’d been willing to make.

But five days was a long time, to be away from your best friend, and Jisung realized that holding back like that in the vain hope that things could go back to the way they were, wasn’t going to solve anything. Because now he knew how he felt- he’d crossed the line, kissed Yuri twice, felt the rush and all the stuff he was trying to pretend wasn’t there- and that  _ wasn’t  _ going to go away.

So either he needed to face it all for what it was, or he might have to let go of Yuri entirely; because there was no  _ pretending _ anymore.

And if Jisung was being honest, he kept wondering if maybe it was too late.

_ “You’ll keep staying with Sehun because he’s nice to look at,” Jisung said bitterly, voice low as he spoke. “ _ Just _ like you did with Jungkook.” _

He cringed at the memory of the words, of the look on Yuri’s face when he’d said it, and wished he could just take it all back. They’d both said some stupid shit, done stupid things, and the damage felt  _ deep _ \- maybe irreparable- especially as the days dragged on and he’d yet to hear from Yuri, while he couldn’t find the strength to reach out either.

So instead, he’d been burying himself in his music because it turns out, when you’re sad, you can write some pretty incredible songs. Chan kept making jokes, that Jisung was sleeping less than  _ he _ was- his roommate was King Insomniac- and he thought that might be true; he really  _ hadn’t _ been sleeping too much...

Suddenly, Jisung jumped, his headphones being carefully pulled from his ears, falling around his neck, and he turned quickly, coming face to face with Chan.

It’s like his roommate had  _ known  _ he was thinking about him.

“What’s up?” he asked, voice a little scratchy from lack of use.

“Hey, sorry, I walked in and waved at you and everything, but you didn’t see me,” Chan apologized, a slight smile on his face. “You writing another song?”

Jisung paused the track, nodding in answer as he glanced back at the screen.

“Yeah, I’m almost done.”

“Dude, you’re gonna be famous before me if you keep making music this quick,” Chan joked.

Jisung grinned, letting out a half-hearted laugh as he slid one of the soundbars a little for the track. 

“Also, you look pale,” his roommate continued, mattress squeaking as Chan collapsed onto his bed. “I’m gonna be the tan one out of the two of us soon.”

Jisung glanced at his skin- the normal color of his skin  _ was _ starting to fade- but he didn’t respond. 

“Dude-”

There was another squeak, and then Jisung’s bed was shuffling as Chan sat down, crossing his legs as he looked at him.

“-come on. Let’s go do something.”

Jisung glanced over at his roommate, and he was smiling again, if only a little; Chan looked like such a  _ puppy _ .

“Like what?”

He wasn’t really interested in going anywhere, but Jisung couldn’t find it in him to say that when Chan was smiling like that.

“Like an escape room at my work,” he answered immediately, brightening a little at the idea. “Come on, I get them for  _ free _ . We can go and figure out who the smart one  _ really  _ is.”

He was teasing and Jisung was laughing reluctantly, considering it for a moment.

Maybe he  _ should _ go, give his eyes a break from the laptop screen and at least do  _ something _ besides sit around in sadness.

It might be nice to get out for a few.

“When were you planning on going?” he asked, Chan typing something on his phone before quickly locking the device, stuffing it into his pocket.

“Hmmm…” the older stood up, raising his eyebrows with a grin. “Right now?”

Jisung’s eyes widened in surprise, chuckling a little.

“Right now?” he repeated, laptop sitting limply on his legs.

“Yeah!” Chan exclaimed, nodding towards the door. “We’re kind of slow this time of day so I’m sure they’ll have a room open…”

Jisung glanced back at his song, hesitating for a moment before slowly saving the track, shutting the laptop and pulling his headphones from around his neck.

“I mean, alright…”

When he’d decided maybe he should go, he hadn’t expected his roommate to want to go so  _ soon _ , but he wasn’t sure it made much of a difference.

He’d be doing the same the same thing either way.

Jisung climbed off the bed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants as Chan threw a heavy arm over his shoulder.

“Come on,” he said happily, walking them quickly towards the door. “I promise, you won’t regret it.” 


	17. Chapter 17

Jiae gasped, eyes wide as saucers as she almost jumped from her seat.

“They’re both… they’re on their way to the escape room-”

Grandma Kim was beaming, her laugh almost giddy as she nodded quickly.

Jiae glanced at the clock- another two hours had passed- and she realized her time with her grandmother was quickly coming to an end, a pull on her chest.

“Hurry, hurry, dear-”

She shook herself from those thoughts as Grandma Kim pointed excitedly to the pages, making her giggle.

“-keep  _ reading _ .”

Jiae nodded profusely, turning the pages as quickly as she could, Yuri’s handwriting back again.

“ _ Jaeun and I headed to Chan’s work, and I tried to cheer up; be happy for my roommate and excited about getting out of the dorm. _

_ The sun felt warm on my skin, and I tried to focus on that, remind myself that there were far worse things in life, but it was hard when I could still feel that heaviness in my heart. _

_ There was brightness to Jaeun- like she  _ knew  _ this was good for me, to get outside again- and she kept smiling, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. While we walked, she talked, and I listened, happy to hear more about her and Chan, Jaeun’s school assignments, and Christmas plans. _

_ When we got there, Chan wasn’t in yet, but his friend Jamie had taken us to a room, Jaeun leaving me alone for a moment to use the restroom before we started… _ ”

* * *

* * *

**_Still Sunday, December 9, 2018_ **

Yuri felt awkward, rocking back and forth on her feet as she looked around the small room. 

It was Sherlock Holmes themed, with a London phone booth in the corner and a messy desk against the wall, where Yuri was sure she would start to look for clues, once they began.

She found the long walk in the winter cold did her some good- she felt a little more  _ alive _ now- and Yuri thought maybe coming to an escape room had been  _ exactly _ what she’d needed. 

_ Maybe Jaeun knew all along, and that’s why she’d been so happy _

Just then, the door was opening, and Yuri turned around- about to tease Jaeun for taking so long- but her voice caught completely in her throat when it was  _ Jisung _ walking through instead, eyes wide as they met hers.

The door shut with a small click behind him, and they were silent for a second before Jisung spoke softly.

“Yuri…”

She was frozen. 

Nothing had changed- everything was  _ worse _ \- Yuri’s feelings all cascading down on her like a waterfall. Immediately, her heart was racing in her chest, stomach flipping at the sight of him- so handsome, as always- a nervous stutter in her chest as she saw him glance behind him at the door before facing her again.

“I was supposed to be doing a room with Chan-”

His voice was so much quieter than it normally was, and Yuri nodded slowly, eyes never leaving his face.

“Yeah, I… I was supposed to be here with Jaeun.”

And of course, they both knew they’d been  _ completely _ set up.

It was quiet again, the air tense between them as Jisung shoved his hands nervously into the pockets of his pants, taking a couple steps closer. 

It was almost  _ painful _ , to see him again like this, looking at her so  _ unsure _ , like they weren’t lifelong friends, and didn’t share  _ everything _ together. It was a harsh reminder of what had transpired between them, and how much things had changed, for better or worse. 

“Hi,” Yuri finally managed, because she couldn’t stand another second of silence.

“Hi,” he breathed, and she watched the corners of his mouth pull up just slightly, like he was trying to smile.

And Yuri was encouraged by that- a  _ glow _ on her insides as she let out a quiet, nervous laugh before biting her bottom lip.

She’d  _ never _ gone this long without talking to Jisung- not even during their big fight in middle school when he’d broken her PS2 game on accident- and there was an  _ ache _ in her chest that had her taking steps closer too, as their eyes searched each other’s features.

There were so many things she wanted to say; that she was sorry for  _ everything _ she’d said. That they were both idiots, and there were so many things they  _ still _ hadn’t talked about, and this would’ve been so much easier if she’d just been honest with him- honest with  _ herself _ from the beginning. 

But instead, she paused, finally releasing her bottom lip as he watched the movement.

“I miss you.”

Yuri whispered the words, throat tightening as soon as she said it, because she  _ did _ ; more than anything, the loss of Jisung’s presence had been the hardest. And it wasn’t until he was right there again that she could  _ feel _ that.

He didn’t say anything at first, but she saw him finally smile just slightly.

“I miss you too, Yu,” he breathed.

And she could see it; the dark circles, his hair more unkempt than usual, the glassy, tiredness to his eyes and the slight paleness to his skin, like he’d been inside just as much as  _ she _ had.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, taking another step closer, hating that she’d done that to him. “I shouldn’t have said what I did… about  _ Nari _ , I-”

“You were right-” Jisung interrupted, hands still shoved in his pockets as he shrugged. “I had a feeling. I think-”

He was shaking his head a little, laughing without humor.

“I think I was just ignoring it.”

Yuri could see it was something he’d only recently come to terms with; that she’d been right when she’d accused him of being in denial.

“You still don’t deserve that.”

Because he  _ didn’t _ ; Yuri hated that Nari thought she could do that to Jisung- to  _ multiple _ guys- and use them like that.

“I mean…” Jisung was chuckling again, but this time it sounded a little more  _ real  _ as his eyes darted between hers. “I was the one dumb enough to fall for it.”

Yuri was looking at him again- the smile now on his face- and she was struck by how incredibly  _ good-looking _ he was to her; how had she not noticed before now?

“Want me to take care of her?” she joked, encouraged by his smile, and the fact that she could still  _ laugh _ with him, if only a little. “Like I did those bullies in fourth grade?”

His grin went one sided- the teasing one she was used to- and she felt her stomach flip again at the sight of it.

“Think you could take her?” Jisung asked softly.

“She’s a toothpick,” Yuri could feel her shoulders relaxing at such normal  _ banter _ between them. “It would be easy.”

They were both chuckling again, Yuri glancing down at her feet before she was looking up again, meeting Jisung’s eyes once more. She watched him swallow, turning away as he dug his shoe into the floor between them.

“I’m sorry too, Yuri,” he all but whispered. “For what I said. I shouldn’t have…”

“ _ You _ were right, too.”

She felt the same way he did; that nothing he’d said was  _ wrong _ , even if it  _ was _ harsh. They’d never filtered anything before, and someone needed to tell her what she was doing- how  _ stupid _ she was being.

Yuri was taking a couple more brave steps forward, and Jisung was watching her, eyes still searching the features of her face.

“I always  _ do _ go for the tall, dark and handsome… but I never know a thing  _ about  _ them, really-”

She was pressing her lips nervously together for a moment, a twisted knot in her stomach as she kept talking, still quiet.

“I never really find the  _ connection _ I’m looking for… that- that  _ friendship _ .”

Jisung’s eyes widened, too many emotions flickering across them for her to read, and Yuri was almost shaky as she continued to look at him; to just  _ talk to him _ , like she should have from the beginning.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, apologizing again. “For fighting with you, I just… for  _ everything _ .”

And she didn’t wait for him to answer-  _ couldn’t _ wait- as she closed the distance between them, boldly throwing her arms around him.

Jisung was startled for only a moment before she felt him pulling his hands from his pockets, hugging her right back. They were quiet, Yuri burying her face into his neck- so  _ warm _ \- finally able to breathe again because nothing felt more like home than  _ him _ .

And there- engulfed in his fresh-cut grass scent and the comfort his embrace brought her, she found the courage to admit what she knew  _ now _ more than ever.

“Sungie, I…” still, she hesitated, knowing the gravity of her words as she spoke into the crook of his neck, eyes still closed. “I think I  _ like _ you… like,  _ a lot _ .”

She felt him stiffen against her, but Yuri didn’t let go and neither did he, and after a moment, she pulled back, knowing she  _ had _ to be brave, and face him again.

Jisung was looking at her like he was seeing her for the first time- almost  _ amazed _ \- his eyes wide, the ghost of a smile pulling on his lips again. 

And Yuri laughed, because she was so  _ nervous _ , but then again, she  _ wasn’t _ , because it was  _ him _ , and the whole thing was ridiculous, but scary as hell.

Then Jisung was laughing, too, as soft as she was, before he was speaking quietly.

“I think I like you too, Yu.”

And she watched him lean just a little closer, their eyes still locked, butterflies fluttering almost violently in her stomach as their arms stayed wrapped around each other.

“I-I mean, I think I’ve liked you for a long time,” he admitted, a shy grin on his face.

He was stuttering- she hadn’t heard him do that in a  _ while _ \- and Yuri took in every feature of his handsome face, heart racing at their proximity-

“How long?” she whispered, because it sounded like the same epiphany she herself had come to- that she’d liked him  _ long _ before they kissed- and she wondered if he’d felt the same.

They were leaning close again, like neither of them even  _ realized _ , and when Jisung chuckled just slightly, his breath hit her face and Yuri’s eyes were slipping closed before she could help it.

“A  _ long _ time,” he answered, lips just inches from her own.

“I think I have, too.”

Yuri didn’t wait for him to close the distance, because she knew she could  _ always  _ be full speed ahead with Jisung- he’d never minded- her lips pressing hard against his.

And it was exactly what she was always looking for, what she only got with Jisung.

That  _ connection _ .

The rush in her veins, and the subtle vibration that spread across her skin. The glowing heat that settled deep within her chest and the euphoric twist of her insides, as she held him close. It was the way she couldn’t  _ breathe _ , but rode the high anyway, because she couldn’t pull away, didn’t  _ want _ to- her heart skipping beats in her chest at the emotions rushing through her system-

And she was smiling into the kiss, their lips losing rhythm as she felt the  _ happiness _ that filled her soul. 

Jisung was smiling too, pulling away only for their foreheads to rest against each other’s, their noses rubbing together as they let out identical, quiet laughs.

Yuri was taking a deep breath, lips still inches from Jisung’s, and she felt a little shaky before he was leaning forward, kissing  _ her _ this time as she sank right back into it. 

It was odd, how things could be so familiar, and yet feel so  _ new _ . How her body could fall into the rhythm of Jisung like it was as easy as breathing, but then her stomach could clench so hard, like she was  _ nervous _ as they deepened the kiss just a little. Her fingers were threading through the hair on the back of his head- the hair she’d always loved- and his hands were sliding down her arms, leaving an electric sensation along her skin, like he was touching her for the very first time-

“Alright, alright, I think we’re good-”

“ _ Chan _ !”

She jumped, Jisung pulling away from her as they both looked around wildly, realizing at the same time that the voices were coming from an intercom speaker just above the door of the room.

“ _ What _ ? We can’t have them making out in the  _ escape room _ . What if things get more hot and heavy?”

Yuri giggled, she and Jisung glancing at one another as he rolled his eyes with a shake of his head, chuckling under his breath.

“No one  _ does  _ that-” Jaeun’s distinct giggle followed her words as she argued with Chan.

“ _ We _ did that-”

Yuri snorted with laughter at the same time as Jisung, and there was a shuffling followed by Chan’s high-pitched laugh before the sound cut out completely.

They both stared at the speaker for a moment- Yuri not even wanting to  _ address _ the fact that Chan and Jaeun had been listening in that whole time- both of them smiling as they faced one another once more.

Their eyes were locked, Yuri’s arms still wrapped around his neck, Jisung reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear, the quiet between them finally  _ comfortable _ again.

And she knew there was still so much left to say; things they needed to talk about and things they needed to discuss. She knew it wasn’t over, but then again, that was the  _ thrill _ of something new.

Of the  _ beginning _ .

“Still best friends?” Yuri asked softly, saving the details for later as her smile went a little shy.

Jisung smiled right back, his fingers still lingering near her cheek, and Yuri let the rush of  _ feeling _ \- their  _ connection _ \- take over her again, as he spoke softly once more.

“Forever.”

* * *

* * *

Jiae stopped, staring at the words “ _ The End” _ written neatly across the center of a new line, but she turned the page anyway, finding  _ nothing _ .

It was really over.

She looked up, tears in her eyes as her Grandma smiled, her own eyes looking a little watery as well as she rocked back and forth in her chair.

“I can’t believe it,” Jiae whispered, staring at the notebook again. “That’s the end.”

“Yep,” her grandmother answered gently, laughing a little. “That’s the end.”

“But not really,” Jiae said, still thinking of Yuri and Jisung, and how much they had left of their story. “Like she said… it was only the beginning.”

They were still for a moment, soaking in the afterglow of the story, orange and pink light shining in from outside, telling Jiae the sun was beginning to set.

“I guess I’ll have to go pretty soon,” she said softly. “Won’t I?”

Grandma Kim nodded, but she was still smiling.

“You’ll know where to find me.”

Jiae felt a little teary, closing the pages of the notebook and smoothing down the plastic cover once more. Then she was standing up, making her way to her grandmother’s dresser.

“Do you want me to put this away?”

“I was just about to ask you to,” her grandma replied, a twinkle in her eye.

Jiae grinned, pulling the top dresser drawer open, finding a large gap in the middle she knew must be where the older normally kept the notebook.

She slipped it inside, when a glare on the right side of the drawer caught Jiae’s attention. She looked over, her eyes widening when she saw a small basket there, a pair of blue, plastic  _ spiderman _ glasses sitting on top.

“Grandma…”

But she didn’t look up, pulling the drawer out more completely as she saw further inside the basket, spotting a  _ Freddy Vs Jason _ DVD case sitting snugly at the bottom. Jiae was mesmerized, reaching inside when she saw a small chain on top of the movie, realizing it was a  _ bracelet _ . The letters  _ KD _ were carved into a single circle that dangled from the chain, and Jiae’s eyes were widening again when she saw a picture as well, old and a little bent-up, of two dorky, but good-looking teenagers, hand in hand,  _ clearly  _ dressed up for prom.

“Oh my gosh…”

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest when she saw a small velvet box near the back, and placing the bracelet gently back inside the basket, she picked up the box, holding it gingerly between her fingers before slowly prying it open.

Inside, there were three rings; a woman’s wedding band and diamond set, and a man’s wedding ring as well, tight together in the small jewelry pillow only meant for one. In the lid of the box, a small note was pressed inside, and Jiae’s heart skipped a beat when she  _ recognized  _ the handwriting.

_**Best Friends Forever?** _

“He  _ proposed _ ?”

She finally turned to face her grandmother, who was smiling brightly, tears still shining in her eyes as she looked at Jiae.

“They got married?” Jiae’s eyes were wide with shock. “ _ You’re _ Yuri?!”

“Yes,” the older replied, slowly nodding. “And your grandpa… he’s Jisung.”

She didn’t know how she hadn’t figured it out; how she hadn’t  _ known _ -

“He always said he wasn’t much of a writer, but he  _ did _ help me write this, before he died,” Grandma Kim continued. “We used different names, but the story is all the same… I wanted a way to have it forever.”

The tears were running down her grandmother’s cheeks now, and she wiped them away shakily, sniffing as Jiae felt her heart clench in her chest.

“That note inside is how he asked me to marry him,” the older explained. “We went to a late night movie together, like we always did, and it was our three year anniversary. We were young- only just about to graduate college- but were so  _ incredibly _ in love…”

Jiae knew; she could see it in Grandma Kim’s eyes as she spoke.

“And he slipped that box into the bottom of the popcorn bucket-” Grandma laughed, nodding to the rings. “Well,  _ Jaeun _ did- she worked at the theater at the time. And he knew I’d finish it off like I always did, and I found it at the bottom, Jisung dropping to one knee right there on the theater floor by the time I was looking at him again…”

Jiae giggled, imagining the entire scene in her mind.

“And of course, I said yes,” her grandmother went on. “We had your mother, and your uncle, and we really were…  _ best friends forever _ …”

They were quiet again, as Jiae looked at the little note in the ring box again, thinking how  _ old _ it was, how her grandpa has passed away almost ten years ago now…

They both jumped when there was a light knock on the door. 

Jiae quickly put everything back in its place before shutting the drawer, Jiyeon walking into the room with a curious smile on her face, eyes darting between the two of them.

“Hey…” she sounded amused, the door closing behind her as she made her way inside. “Am I interrupting something?”

Jiae exchanged a look with her grandmother before she was smiling at her older sister, shrugging as nonchalantly as she could.

“No,” she answered. “Grandma was just telling me a story…”

“I’m sorry I’m getting here so late,” Jiyeon apologized, looking exasperated. “The errands I had to run took  _ way  _ longer than I expected-”

“It was fine,” Grandma Kim reassured her quickly. “The  _ perfect  _ amount of time.”

Jiae felt a wave of  _ sadness _ wash over her, as Jiyeon grabbed the younger’s purse off the table, handing it over with a bright smile.

“You ready to go?”

“Yeah,” she replied quietly, turning back to her grandmother. “Let me just say goodbye.”

Jiyeon left first, with promises of coming back next week before she was walking out the door, leaving Jiae and Grandma Kim alone once more. Jiae felt a small lump in her throat as she moved in to hug the older, the two of them hovering there for a second before she was pulling back.

“I’ll come back and visit, I promise.”

And she meant it; she felt bad it had been so long since she had.

“Please do,” her grandmother smiled, turning to the top dresser drawer before facing Jiae once more. “When you do, we’ll start writing  _ your _ stories instead.”

Jiae smiled right back, nodding once as she squeezed her grandmother’s hand. Then she was adjusting the purse on her shoulder, thinking of the laptop she had back home, and how many ideas sat unfinished, waiting for her to write.

But then again, Jiae thought as she left her grandmother’s room, giving the older one final wave, maybe she  _ wouldn’t  _ use her laptop after all.

Maybe she would just buy a notebook of her own, instead.


	18. Other Stories

##  **Hey Guys!!**

Thank you so so much for reading! 

If you liked this story, feel free to check out some of my other one-shots and stories!

**One-Shots:**

**-Bottoms Up: A Halloween Special (M):** **_Jimin/OC_**

A bartender with a crappy boyfriend is working the costume party on Halloween night at the club. She runs into a sexy man with a sideways smile who just might be the distraction she's looking for.

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026804 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026804)

**-Sweet Talk To Me (M):** **_Jinyoung/OC Jaebum/OC_ **

Two college besties are headed to a grad party to let loose for Fall break. Were Jinyoung's smooth moves on Arin or Jaebum's sweet words to Eunmi a part of the plan? Absolutely not. 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/19911112/chapters/47163310 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19911112/chapters/47163310)

**-Makeup Chairs and Closet Doors (M):** **_Taehyung/OC Jungkook/OC_ **

Two sisters who work with BTS have a little too much fun with the boys after a long day of work. 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689400/chapters/41725754 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689400/chapters/41725754)

**-Cheers to Stupid Mistakes (M):** **_Han/OC_ **

After a long, tiring day, all Professor Eunae wants to do is go home, drink wine and  _ not  _ think about her cheating ex. When her car won’t start in the middle of the near-empty parking lot at her university, a young, mysterious stranger with a motorcycle shows up unexpectedly to save the day.

Who says princes don't wear leather? 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553187 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553187)

**-Don’t Get Caught (M):** **_Wonho/OC_ **

Arya is just a girl, who’s also an idol, who’s a little tired of the “no boys” rule. So what happens when a hot guy buys hers a drink, challenging her to break the rules for just one night?

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570464/chapters/56548744 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570464/chapters/56548744)

**-Unexpected Help (M):** **_Yoongi/OC_ **

Mira, head stylist for BTS, is having relationship problems with Namjoon, again, and just needs a way to cool off. Soomi gets a taste of the performing life, and wouldn’t mind finding a mentor who can teach her the ropes. Min Yoongi just might be the guy they both need.

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641123/chapters/56741551 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641123/chapters/56741551)

**Stories:**

**-Thank You For Everything:** **_Yoongi/OC Jin/OC Jimin/OC_ **

A girl who has a past she'd rather forget moves far away from home to start a new life at college. Everything is going great...that is, until she meets  _ Yoongi _ . 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026867/chapters/42594362 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026867/chapters/42594362)

**-The Perfect Match (M)** :  **_Jin/OC Jimin/OC Taehyung/OC Jungkook/OC Yoongi/OC Namjoon/OC Hoseok/OC_ **

A Reality TV show AU where girls from all over the world take soulmate quizzes to find their perfect match in a BTS member. Seven of those girls are chosen to live in a mansion with the Bangtan Boys on a TV show. Lots of angst, romance, and sexy times! 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689079/chapters/41724953 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689079/chapters/41724953)

**-Missing Pieces: When Fate Has Other Plans (M):** **_Shownu/OC Yugyeom/OC_ **

Soyeon and Jiahn are best friends working for the Entertainment Enquirer, an entertainment online magazine. They are forced to go to Seoul's most popular underground masquerade party after their demanding boss, Jackson, gives them no choice. With their identities hidden, dressed to impress, the two head to the club for a night to remember, not realizing that one fateful night would change their lives forever...

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026993/chapters/42594704 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18026993/chapters/42594704)

**-Let's Try It (M):** **_Chan/OC Hyunjin/OC_ **

Chan, MiYoung and Minha have been best friends since their second year of college. While Chan and MiYoung are swapping flirty banter and making out every time they're drunk, they  _ insist _ they are just friends, no matter how many times Minha tells them they're stupid. When Chan throws a party and invites his hot, young intern- Hyunjin- over, Minha is knocked right off her feet. One too many shots and a party game gone personal, the four of them have conversations that change their perspective on everything... 

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/23134945/chapters/55362016 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23134945/chapters/55362016)

**-Another Day:** **_Han/OC Chan/OC_ **

Jisung and Yuri had always been the best of friends. For as long as they could remember, it was them against the world, and college was just supposed to be their next big adventure… They never expected the drunken mistake that would alter their friendship forever

[ https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095992/chapters/66163435 ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095992/chapters/66163435)


End file.
